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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,329 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $2,097 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,866 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 9% above, Wakayama 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$225

$6.95 ¥1,121

86.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$908

$34.09 ¥5,498

53.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$168

$6.25 ¥1,008

55.04%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.1

$2.98 ¥480

25.84%

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

$1.56 MX$27.14

$1.16 ¥188

34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.10

$0.70 ¥114

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$3.48 ¥561

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.0

$2.05 ¥331

139.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.68 ¥271

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.30

$1.71 ¥276

56.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.77

$5.03 ¥812

-62.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.74

$2.56 ¥412

-1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$174

$17.52 ¥2,826

-42.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$148

$7.74 ¥1,248

10.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$207

$15.50 ¥2,500

-22.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.6

$8.90 ¥1,436

-66.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.14

$2.91 ¥470

-38.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.69

$4.99 ¥805

-59.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.03

$9.82 ¥1,584

-80.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$3.91 ¥630

-44.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.38

$2.60 ¥419

-12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$1.32 ¥213

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.34

$1.44 ¥232

-22.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.9

$3.57 ¥576

17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$287

$9.25 ¥1,493

78.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.19

$2.77 ¥446

-39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.29 ¥370

56.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$1.65 ¥266

-76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$56.2 ¥9,068

-65.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.98

$3.39 ¥547

-59.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.24

$2.96 ¥478

-89.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$93.5

$17.66 ¥2,848

-69.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.32

$1.24 ¥200

4.03%

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

$18.9K MX$327.9K

$23.5K ¥3.8M

-19.59%

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

$23.8K MX$413.0K

$17.1K ¥2.8M

39.52%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$139 ¥22.4K

-71.24%

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

$27.83 MX$483

$26.96 ¥4,348

3.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$517

$34.12 ¥5,503

-12.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$902

$54.9 ¥8,860

-5.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$455

$14.04 ¥2,264

86.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$12.68 ¥2,044

-50.55%

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

$433 MX$7,508

$473 ¥76.2K

-8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$11.5K ¥1.9M

-8.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$989

$46.77 ¥7,543

21.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$787

$32.44 ¥5,232

39.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,768

$56.6 ¥9,135

79.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$91.3 ¥14.7K

18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$475 ¥76.6K

109.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$324 ¥52.3K

90.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$36.2K

$875 ¥141.1K

138.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$654 ¥105.4K

92.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$68.3K

$4,013 ¥647.2K

-1.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$36.2K

$2,382 ¥384.1K

-12.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.6K

$3,899 ¥628.8K

-70.98%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $475 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 245% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $409, 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 ($1,448 vs $1,329 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 245% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $475 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 193% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $473 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,329 in Wakayama versus $1,448 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.