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: $1,123 in Mexico versus $958 in Cuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,789 in Mexico versus $1,310 in Cuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,455 in Mexico versus $1,661 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 29% lower.

Mexico ($686–$2,407) and Cuba ($23.00–$1,579) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.44 MX$179

$5.85 CUP 140

78.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 MX$721

$25.21 CUP 605

66.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 MX$140

$6.81 CUP 164

19.82%

Cappuccino

$3.36 MX$57.6

$1.61 CUP 38.66

108.70%

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

$1.33 MX$22.83

$1.97 CUP 47.37

-32.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.56

$1.23 CUP 29.46

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.00

$2.02 CUP 48.50

15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$73.2

$2.52 CUP 60.5

69.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.23

$2.94 CUP 70.7

-47.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$44.37

$1.14 CUP 27.25

126.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MX$29.96

$2.01 CUP 48.24

-12.94%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.10

$3.06 CUP 73.4

-21.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.87 CUP 141

42.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 MX$135

$5.45 CUP 131

44.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.74 MX$184

$11.07 CUP 266

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$48.52

$4.44 CUP 107

-36.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.03

$1.18 CUP 28.39

23.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.89

$1.56 CUP 37.39

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.14

$1.61 CUP 38.69

16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.18

$1.74 CUP 41.82

14.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.65

$2.49 CUP 59.8

-16.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$22.69

$0.89 CUP 21.28

48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.38

$1.02 CUP 24.56

-0.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$73.6

$3.58 CUP 86.0

19.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$197

$9.98 CUP 239

15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.51

$2.04 CUP 48.87

-21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 MX$50.4

$2.04 CUP 48.85

44.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.09

$0.20 CUP 4.83

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.49 MX$455

$22.17 CUP 532

19.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MX$44.17

$2.08 CUP 49.99

23.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 MX$33.74

$0.52 CUP 12.38

278.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 MX$180

$20.27 CUP 487

-48.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.38

$1.22 CUP 29.25

6.56%

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

$20.4K MX$350.9K

$69.5K CUP 1.7M

-70.56%

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

$23.0K MX$394.3K

$76.6K CUP 1.8M

-70.01%

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

$62.3 MX$1,070

$37.07 CUP 890

68.17%

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

$23.43 MX$402

$35.07 CUP 842

-33.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.55 MX$490

$228 CUP 5,482

-87.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.43 MX$608

$35.33 CUP 848

0.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 MX$313

$12.44 CUP 298

46.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 MX$79.4

$0.98 CUP 23.64

372.45%

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

$252 MX$4,331

$107 CUP 2,566

135.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,610 MX$96.3K

$13.4K CUP 322.8K

-58.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$885

$37.91 CUP 910

35.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$687

$32.22 CUP 773

24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 MX$1,595

$69.9 CUP 1,677

32.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,533

$71.3 CUP 1,711

25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 MX$11.2K

$340 CUP 8,164

91.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 MX$7,808

$527 CUP 12.6K

-13.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$907 CUP 21.8K

34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 MX$15.0K

$627 CUP 15.1K

38.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,613 MX$44.8K

$359 CUP 8,628

626.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,574 MX$27.0K

$333 CUP 7,991

372.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$792 MX$13.6K

$36.29 CUP 871

2081.12%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Cuba: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $529 in Mexico, $269 in Cuba. Capital cities: $995 in Mexico City vs $365 in Havana.

National salary averages: $769 in Mexico, $36.00 in Cuba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 97% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 70% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 36% more expensive in Cuba.

Salaries are 2036% 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 $801 per month in Cuba and $1,547 in Mexico, there's a 93% 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.