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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,645 in Milan versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Milan versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,444 in Milan versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Milan is roughly 61% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 92% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.76 €21.36

$12.11 MX$206

104.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.3 €84.0

$52.2 MX$887

86.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €12.00

$10.90 MX$185

27.61%

Cappuccino

$2.13 €1.84

$4.05 MX$68.8

-47.41%

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

$4.02 €3.47

$1.72 MX$29.13

133.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.38 MX$23.40

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 €5.94

$3.47 MX$58.9

98.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €6.00

$5.81 MX$98.7

19.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.85 MX$31.48

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 €2.88

$3.22 MX$54.7

3.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$2.09 MX$35.42

80.86%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.37

$2.91 MX$49.41

74.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.70 €20.45

$12.49 MX$212

89.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 €12.97

$10.11 MX$172

48.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.74 €20.48

$15.89 MX$270

49.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.78

$3.31 MX$56.3

-2.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.13 MX$36.12

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.02

$2.19 MX$37.20

59.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 €3.96

$2.45 MX$41.57

87.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.19 MX$37.18

12.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.90 MX$32.35

13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.62 MX$27.44

13.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$1.35 MX$22.92

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 €6.49

$5.43 MX$92.1

38.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 €8.07

$17.59 MX$299

-46.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.07 MX$35.12

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$4.75 MX$80.6

-50.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$0.34 MX$5.77

632.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.87 €39.58

$21.58 MX$366

112.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 €6.96

$2.04 MX$34.65

295.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.05

$0.58 MX$9.82

308.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 €56.1

$5.97 MX$101

989.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.62 MX$27.44

32.72%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

67.73%

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

$37.7K €32.5K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

41.34%

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

$267 €230

$65.2 MX$1,108

309.32%

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

$10.89 €9.40

$29.87 MX$507

-63.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €26.49

$36.55 MX$621

-16.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 €76.3

$61.0 MX$1,036

44.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.05 €29.38

$26.70 MX$453

27.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 €11.11

$6.85 MX$116

87.88%

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

$862 €744

$453 MX$7,700

90.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K €17.3K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

50.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.8

$75.0 MX$1,273

41.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 €45.37

$55.3 MX$939

-4.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$114 MX$1,929

2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €147

$123 MX$2,083

38.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 €1,502

$1,134 MX$19.3K

53.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,055

$712 MX$12.1K

71.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,638 €3,139

$2,571 MX$43.7K

41.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 €1,802

$1,311 MX$22.3K

59.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,585

$3,993 MX$67.8K

178.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,102 €4,403

$2,095 MX$35.6K

143.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 €1,963

$1,047 MX$17.8K

117.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

11.3

-71.95%

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

Last update for Milan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,740 in Milan and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 117% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $97.0 in Milan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

Milan vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milan and Mexico City differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($2,645 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 117% higher in Milan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,740 in Milan versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 113% less than in Milan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $862 in Milan versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,645 in Milan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Milan and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.