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: $1,121 in Mexico versus $958 in Cuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,787 in Mexico versus $1,311 in Cuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,453 in Mexico versus $1,664 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 ($692–$2,378) and Cuba ($22.00–$1,578) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.68 MX$186

$6.02 CUP 145

77.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.85 MX$746

$24.51 CUP 588

74.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 MX$139

$6.78 CUP 163

17.55%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$56.4

$1.65 CUP 39.56

96.36%

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

$1.29 MX$22.43

$1.98 CUP 47.51

-34.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.06

$1.22 CUP 29.37

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 MX$42.20

$1.97 CUP 47.18

23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 MX$72.3

$2.40 CUP 57.6

73.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$26.18

$2.91 CUP 69.8

-48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.79

$1.13 CUP 27.08

132.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$2.00 CUP 48.11

-12.00%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.20

$3.03 CUP 72.7

-21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 MX$146

$5.81 CUP 139

44.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 MX$135

$5.27 CUP 126

47.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 MX$189

$10.96 CUP 263

-1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$47.25

$4.55 CUP 109

-40.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$26.01

$1.14 CUP 27.35

30.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.03

$1.56 CUP 37.55

17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.43

$1.62 CUP 38.93

14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.84

$1.82 CUP 43.74

9.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$2.40 CUP 57.6

-17.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.80

$0.87 CUP 20.91

43.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.44

$1.06 CUP 25.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.0

$3.45 CUP 82.8

21.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 MX$201

$10.15 CUP 244

13.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.73

$1.98 CUP 47.43

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MX$52.7

$2.14 CUP 51.4

41.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.55

$0.20 CUP 4.70

205.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.13 MX$455

$22.67 CUP 544

15.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MX$44.96

$2.19 CUP 52.6

17.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.49 CUP 11.67

287.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.69 MX$186

$19.92 CUP 478

-46.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.23 CUP 29.52

7.32%

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

$20.1K MX$350.5K

$71.1K CUP 1.7M

-71.66%

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

$23.3K MX$406.0K

$75.5K CUP 1.8M

-69.09%

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

$63.2 MX$1,100

$36.93 CUP 886

71.19%

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

$23.53 MX$409

$35.56 CUP 853

-33.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 MX$493

$229 CUP 5,506

-87.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.34 MX$615

$35.18 CUP 844

0.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 MX$316

$11.98 CUP 287

51.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 MX$84.2

$1.03 CUP 24.69

369.90%

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

$251 MX$4,360

$110 CUP 2,652

126.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,789 MX$100.7K

$13.4K CUP 321.6K

-56.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 MX$916

$38.82 CUP 932

35.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.09 MX$698

$31.91 CUP 766

25.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MX$1,619

$69.1 CUP 1,659

34.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 MX$1,563

$70.1 CUP 1,682

28.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MX$11.2K

$340 CUP 8,155

88.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 MX$7,830

$529 CUP 12.7K

-14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.7K

$888 CUP 21.3K

40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 MX$15.0K

$626 CUP 15.0K

37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 MX$47.7K

$369 CUP 8,846

643.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 MX$27.6K

$339 CUP 8,128

369.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 MX$14.0K

$37.26 CUP 894

2058.59%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Cuba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $270 in Cuba. Capital cities: $1,000 in Mexico City vs $361 in Havana.

National salary averages: $774 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 2050% 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 $800 per month in Cuba and $1,535 in Mexico, there's a 92% 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.