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: $2,508 in Milan versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Milan is roughly 71% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.85

$13.18 MX$228

74.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.3

$53.9 MX$931

70.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.96

$9.42 MX$163

35.14%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$3.55 MX$61.3

-38.87%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$1.62 MX$27.95

99.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.11 MX$19.25

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.12

$3.12 MX$53.9

127.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$4.63 MX$80.0

23.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.70 MX$29.40

8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.72 MX$46.97

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$1.91 MX$33.04

74.87%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.71

$2.54 MX$43.82

69.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €17.00

$10.03 MX$173

96.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.21

$8.09 MX$140

60.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.26

$11.62 MX$201

112.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.97 MX$51.3

-4.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.81 MX$31.21

27.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.01 MX$34.79

67.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$2.03 MX$35.16

94.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.12 MX$36.71

22.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.27 MX$39.21

-3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.40 MX$24.20

16.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.13 MX$19.53

-38.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.92

$4.27 MX$73.8

61.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.84

$15.56 MX$269

-41.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.76 MX$30.36

33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$3.60 MX$62.1

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$0.38 MX$6.62

555.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.24

$19.18 MX$331

137.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €7.00

$1.38 MX$23.77

489.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.28 MX$4.78

839.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.10

$5.45 MX$94.1

626.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.30 MX$22.53

57.69%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

78.87%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

57.38%

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

$216 €186

$40.86 MX$706

427.53%

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

$11.71 €10.08

$26.81 MX$463

-56.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.24

$29.96 MX$518

1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.7

$52.0 MX$899

44.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.97

$26.84 MX$464

38.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.11

$6.30 MX$109

86.35%

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

$875 €753

$436 MX$7,536

100.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

60.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.1

$56.7 MX$979

103.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.84

$44.38 MX$767

19.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$103 MX$1,779

11.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$106 MX$1,823

62.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,388

$1,022 MX$17.7K

57.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €979

$631 MX$10.9K

80.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,701

$2,136 MX$36.9K

46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,794

$1,243 MX$21.5K

67.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,513

$3,903 MX$67.4K

183.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,791

$2,064 MX$35.7K

169.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,955

$1,115 MX$19.3K

103.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

11.34

-71.34%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 104% 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: $92.0 in Milan vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $288 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 71% in total monthly costs ($2,508 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Milan pays 104% more on average, 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $1,022 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 138% less than in Milan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $875 in Milan versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,508 in Milan, a $2,000 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 71% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.