Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Cuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Cuba

Name: Cuba
Address: CU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,122 in Mexico versus $960 in Cuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,787 in Mexico versus $1,318 in Cuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,452 in Mexico versus $1,676 in Cuba.

Living in Mexico is roughly 17% more expensive than Cuba on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 16% lower, Cuba 28% lower.

Mexico ($710–$2,354) and Cuba ($22.00–$1,597) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 MX$182

$5.98 CUP 144

77.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.53 MX$715

$24.73 CUP 594

67.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 MX$139

$6.89 CUP 165

16.98%

Cappuccino

$3.44 MX$59.1

$1.68 CUP 40.37

104.76%

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

$1.33 MX$22.96

$1.99 CUP 47.79

-33.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.61

$1.23 CUP 29.43

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MX$40.43

$2.06 CUP 49.37

14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 MX$71.7

$2.44 CUP 58.5

70.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$26.14

$2.92 CUP 70.2

-47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$43.73

$1.14 CUP 27.26

122.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.32

$2.04 CUP 48.88

-13.73%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$40.72

$3.03 CUP 72.7

-21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 MX$145

$5.76 CUP 138

45.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$130

$5.44 CUP 131

38.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 MX$185

$11.16 CUP 268

-3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.03

$4.52 CUP 109

-39.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.66

$1.19 CUP 28.45

20.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.72

$1.54 CUP 37.07

19.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.74

$1.55 CUP 37.23

18.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.07

$1.83 CUP 43.90

11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$34.95

$2.50 CUP 60.0

-18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$21.62

$0.93 CUP 22.23

35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.49

$1.05 CUP 25.23

-2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.5

$3.41 CUP 81.9

25.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 MX$199

$10.15 CUP 244

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.12

$1.98 CUP 47.43

-17.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 MX$51.6

$2.10 CUP 50.3

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.41

$0.17 CUP 4.16

252.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.70 MX$460

$22.22 CUP 533

20.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$45.65

$2.18 CUP 52.2

21.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MX$34.37

$0.48 CUP 11.61

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.37 MX$178

$19.74 CUP 474

-47.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.56

$1.21 CUP 28.96

3.31%

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

$19.9K MX$342.9K

$70.6K CUP 1.7M

-71.76%

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

$23.4K MX$403.3K

$76.7K CUP 1.8M

-69.43%

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

$64.4 MX$1,107

$37.82 CUP 908

70.15%

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

$23.25 MX$400

$35.64 CUP 855

-34.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.41 MX$489

$222 CUP 5,321

-87.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.66 MX$596

$35.22 CUP 845

-1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 MX$319

$12.30 CUP 295

50.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 MX$80.3

$0.97 CUP 23.36

381.44%

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

$247 MX$4,248

$110 CUP 2,650

123.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,631 MX$96.9K

$13.1K CUP 315.0K

-57.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MX$906

$38.55 CUP 925

36.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.73 MX$701

$31.27 CUP 750

30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 MX$1,632

$70.4 CUP 1,690

34.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,530

$71.4 CUP 1,713

24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 MX$11.0K

$341 CUP 8,175

87.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 MX$7,669

$525 CUP 12.6K

-15.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 MX$21.1K

$887 CUP 21.3K

38.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 MX$15.0K

$637 CUP 15.3K

37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,711 MX$46.6K

$371 CUP 8,906

630.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,567 MX$27.0K

$337 CUP 8,098

364.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$821 MX$14.1K

$36.86 CUP 885

2126.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.96

27.79%

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

Last update for Mexico: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cuba: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $529 in Mexico, $270 in Cuba. Capital cities: $994 in Mexico City vs $361 in Havana.

National salary averages: $781 in Mexico, $36.00 in Cuba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 70% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 36% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are 2069% higher in Mexico, giving Mexico stronger purchasing power.

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 vs Cuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $810 per month in Cuba and $1,532 in Mexico, there's a 89% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Cuba is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico beats Cuba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Cuba, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Mexico, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Cuba wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.