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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $314 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $517 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $720 in Varanasi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 370% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Varanasi is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$2.31 ₹221

468.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$8.96 ₹857

497.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$3.51 ₹336

165.81%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.50 ₹143

146.67%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.31 ₹29.51

416.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.13 ₹12.45

761.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.79 ₹171

75.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.32 ₹222

109.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$0.65 ₹61.8

153.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$0.37 ₹35.38

632.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$0.52 ₹50.2

267.31%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$0.95 ₹90.7

172.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$3.60 ₹344

172.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.54 ₹243

231.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.52 ₹145

94.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$0.66 ₹63.2

163.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$0.88 ₹83.8

131.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$0.39 ₹36.85

428.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$0.29 ₹27.94

641.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$0.27 ₹25.91

737.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$0.35 ₹33.26

297.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.29 ₹27.47

286.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.90 ₹278

45.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$5.84 ₹559

199.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.64 ₹157

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.62 ₹251

38.55%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.67 ₹447

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.59 ₹56.6

-40.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$10.66 ₹1,019

81.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.20 ₹19.10

590.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.11 ₹10.70

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$1.17 ₹112

351.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.16 ₹111

17.24%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$14.1K ₹1.4M

35.26%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$21.3K ₹2.0M

11.05%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$13.81 ₹1,321

193.48%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$3.54 ₹338

673.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$5.59 ₹534

443.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$12.28 ₹1,174

325.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$5.85 ₹559

352.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$2.97 ₹284

108.42%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$57.5 ₹5,499

639.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$926 ₹88.6K

1059.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$22.97 ₹2,197

153.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$24.51 ₹2,344

81.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$41.19 ₹3,939

151.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$24.96 ₹2,387

335.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$127 ₹12.2K

696.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$52.5 ₹5,022

1086.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$252 ₹24.1K

741.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$158 ₹15.1K

676.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$558 ₹53.4K

578.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$331 ₹31.7K

536.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$572 ₹54.7K

83.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.72

30.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $127 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 84% 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 $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $88.0 per month, with Varanasi 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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Varanasi differ by about 370% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $314 including rent). Varanasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $127 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Varanasi runs roughly 81% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $57.5 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $314 in Varanasi versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi 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.

Expats usually find Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 370% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.