Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Vacoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Vacoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $737 in Vacoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,124 in Vacoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,511 in Vacoas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 99% more expensive than Vacoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Vacoas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.45 MUR 305

104.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$32.98 MUR 1,560

63.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.94 MUR 234

90.69%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.57 MUR 122

38.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.96 MUR 45.29

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.56 MUR 26.64

98.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.17 MUR 103

43.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.00 MUR 94.9

131.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.28 MUR 60.4

32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.71 MUR 33.75

283.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.29 MUR 60.9

48.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.18 MUR 103

16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$2.67 MUR 126

275.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.01 MUR 142

168.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$5.52 MUR 261

110.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.99 MUR 94.0

49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.03 MUR 96.3

-10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.44 MUR 68.0

39.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.74 MUR 130

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.03 MUR 48.50

105.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.01 MUR 48.01

124.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.79 MUR 37.31

77.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.71 MUR 33.55

59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$5.67 MUR 268

-24.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.31 MUR 299

146.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.44 MUR 68.0

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.18 MUR 103

65.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.01 MUR 47.96

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.47 MUR 212

-69.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.63 MUR 124

-89.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$4.32 MUR 204

26.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.41 MUR 66.9

-7.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$26.7K MUR 1.3M

-29.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-20.83%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.86 MX$708

$49.62 MUR 2,348

-17.65%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.81 MX$465

$10.89 MUR 515

146.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$25.99 MUR 1,230

15.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$26.80 MUR 1,268

94.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.49 MUR 260

14.75%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,558

$155 MUR 7,353

180.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,977 MUR 188.2K

161.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$29.28 MUR 1,386

93.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$29.55 MUR 1,399

50.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$65.7 MUR 3,108

56.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$59.8 MUR 2,830

76.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$266 MUR 12.6K

283.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$238 MUR 11.2K

165.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$506 MUR 23.9K

322.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$320 MUR 15.2K

287.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$700 MUR 33.1K

59.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.25

166.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $266 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $156 per month, with Vacoas cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Vacoas differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $737 including rent). Vacoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 59% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $266 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $155 in Vacoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vacoas – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $737 in Vacoas versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vacoas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Vacoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Vacoas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vacoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.