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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,351 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,076 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,801 in Wakayama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 9% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Wakayama 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.80 ¥1,071

93.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$34.90 ¥5,498

53.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.32 ¥996

47.63%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.05 ¥481

21.31%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.20 ¥190

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.75 ¥117

49.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.50 ¥552

-10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.11 ¥333

129.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.61 ¥254

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.78 ¥280

52.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$4.90 ¥773

-61.02%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.50 ¥394

3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$17.61 ¥2,774

-44.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$7.82 ¥1,233

7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$15.66 ¥2,468

-23.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$9.21 ¥1,452

-67.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.86 ¥451

-39.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$4.75 ¥749

-57.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$9.56 ¥1,506

-78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$3.90 ¥615

-44.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.68 ¥422

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.38 ¥218

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.43 ¥225

-21.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.55 ¥560

18.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$9.42 ¥1,484

85.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.80 ¥441

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.26 ¥356

60.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.60 ¥252

-78.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$54.4 ¥8,574

-64.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$3.56 ¥560

-61.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.97 ¥467

-90.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$17.13 ¥2,699

-69.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.20 ¥189

13.33%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$23.5K ¥3.7M

-18.85%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

39.60%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$140 ¥22.1K

-71.12%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$27.53 ¥4,338

-0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$33.83 ¥5,330

-10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$54.9 ¥8,642

-4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$14.05 ¥2,214

88.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$12.24 ¥1,929

-49.43%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$472 ¥74.4K

-10.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

-4.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$46.42 ¥7,314

25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$32.37 ¥5,101

37.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$57.3 ¥9,029

80.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$91.6 ¥14.4K

18.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$466 ¥73.4K

117.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$332 ¥52.3K

87.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$862 ¥135.9K

145.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$659 ¥103.8K

85.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$4,700 ¥740.6K

-19.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$2,266 ¥357.1K

-6.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$3,822 ¥602.2K

-72.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.67

579.04%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $466 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 263% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $410, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Wakayama differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,351 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 263% lower in Wakayama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $466 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Wakayama runs roughly 182% 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 $472 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,351 in Wakayama versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wakayama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Wakayama 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 Wakayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.