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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,127 in Villahermosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,826 in Villahermosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,525 in Villahermosa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 28% more expensive than Villahermosa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Villahermosa is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$10.78 MX$185

20.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$33.78 MX$580

55.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$10.66 MX$183

-11.54%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.17 MX$54.4

12.62%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.18 MX$20.20

36.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.01 MX$17.41

13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.82 MX$48.36

11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$5.23 MX$89.8

-7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.41 MX$24.21

20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.55 MX$26.59

70.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.35 MX$23.12

40.74%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.39 MX$40.97

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.22 MX$141

22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$10.40 MX$178

-20.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$13.11 MX$225

-11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.39 MX$58.2

-10.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.30 MX$22.39

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.62 MX$27.76

26.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.16 MX$19.99

77.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.55 MX$26.55

32.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.30 MX$22.38

66.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.29 MX$22.09

8.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.06 MX$18.20

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.02 MX$86.2

-14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$10.19 MX$175

51.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.69 MX$46.17

-37.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$6.53 MX$112

-43.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.61 MX$10.42

-37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.18 MX$37.39

-36.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.59 MX$27.23

-82.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.22 MX$141

-34.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.23 MX$21.15

4.07%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$22.6K MX$388.6K

-16.16%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$26.1K MX$447.6K

-10.04%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$60.4 MX$1,037

-32.10%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$28.94 MX$497

-6.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$28.95 MX$497

2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$45.69 MX$784

14.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.66 MX$269

67.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$3.63 MX$62.2

70.25%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$293 MX$5,032

45.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,245 MX$72.9K

151.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$56.9 MX$977

-0.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$39.41 MX$676

13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$77.6 MX$1,331

34.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$59.2 MX$1,015

79.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$345 MX$5,914

188.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$372 MX$6,379

67.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$817 MX$14.0K

160.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$826 MX$14.2K

51.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,242 MX$21.3K

68.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.5

-1.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $345 in Villahermosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Villahermosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $270 per month, with Villahermosa 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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Villahermosa differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,127 including rent). Villahermosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,691 in Villahermosa 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $345 in Villahermosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $293 in Villahermosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Villahermosa – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,127 in Villahermosa versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Villahermosa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Villahermosa 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 Villahermosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.