Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Varkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkala: $383 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Varkala
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Varkala Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Varkala

🇮🇳 India

$383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Varkala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Varkala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $383 in Varkala.

Mexico City $1,674
Varkala $383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $608 in Varkala.

Mexico City $2,606
Varkala $608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $833 in Varkala.

Mexico City $3,537
Varkala $833

Living in Mexico City is roughly 338% more expensive than in Varkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$2.28 ₹216

364.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$10.35 ₹978

402.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$3.45 ₹326

211.01%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$1.57 ₹149

142.04%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$0.37 ₹35.19

335.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$0.18 ₹16.55

572.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$1.76 ₹166

80.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$3.13 ₹295

73.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$0.71 ₹67.4

142.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$0.45 ₹42.46

560.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

$0.66 ₹62.2

192.42%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$0.89 ₹84.2

211.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

$4.87 ₹460

139.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$2.99 ₹282

217.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

$2.05 ₹194

51.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

$0.74 ₹70.1

164.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

$0.98 ₹92.6

102.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

$0.54 ₹50.8

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

$0.38 ₹35.97

431.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

$0.43 ₹40.23

323.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

$0.45 ₹42.20

242.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$0.32 ₹30.08

309.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$3.89 ₹367

37.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

$7.48 ₹706

116.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

$1.69 ₹160

15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

$2.76 ₹261

57.61%

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

$5.59 ₹528

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

$0.28 ₹26.35

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

$8.77 ₹829

122.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

$0.83 ₹78.4

131.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

$0.25 ₹23.36

88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$1.43 ₹135

278.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

$1.16 ₹110

27.59%

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

54.87%

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

$22.2K ₹2.1M

6.79%

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$38.26 ₹3,614

62.02%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$3.52 ₹332

708.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$7.13 ₹673

378.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$15.61 ₹1,475

274.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

$7.10 ₹671

245.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$2.85 ₹269

131.23%

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

$434 MX$8,155

$51.9 ₹4,905

736.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$1,542 ₹145.7K

810.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$24.46 ₹2,311

179.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$24.88 ₹2,351

120.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$41.84 ₹3,953

164.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$30.94 ₹2,922

274.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$123 ₹11.6K

857.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$75.4 ₹7,127

921.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$274 ₹25.8K

839.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$179 ₹16.9K

693.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

$1,051 ₹99.3K

241.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$599 ₹56.6K

244.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.67

30.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Varkala: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Varkala

$75 19.7% 90.2% $695

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Varkala

$105 27.5% 67.5% $218

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Varkala

$65 16.9% 67.7% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Varkala

$55 14.4% 65.1% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Varkala

$49 12.8% 60.7% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Varkala

$21 5.6% 70.2% $50

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Varkala

$12 3.1% 52.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $123 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $10 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $105 per month, with Varkala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇳 Varkala

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

13:13 1:13 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Varkala 16,850 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Varkala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $383 in Varkala, so Varkala is about 77% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $574 in Varkala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $123 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Varkala runs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $52 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $383 in Varkala versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varkala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.