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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,999 in Modena versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,154 in Modena versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,309 in Modena versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Modena is roughly 36% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Modena 50% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.79 €19.87

$13.14 MX$229

73.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 €70.2

$53.5 MX$934

50.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.33 MX$163

24.12%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.73

$3.70 MX$64.5

-46.22%

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

$3.04 €2.65

$1.60 MX$27.98

90.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.12 MX$19.49

20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €5.03

$3.14 MX$54.7

83.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.90

$4.85 MX$84.5

16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.25

$1.65 MX$28.84

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 €2.48

$2.71 MX$47.34

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.20

$1.91 MX$33.29

31.94%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.16

$2.59 MX$45.17

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 €17.44

$9.81 MX$171

103.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 €13.29

$8.43 MX$147

80.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.28 €19.43

$11.93 MX$208

86.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$2.95 MX$51.5

-6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$1.74 MX$30.35

59.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 €3.30

$2.04 MX$35.66

85.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 €3.38

$2.06 MX$35.93

88.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$2.15 MX$37.49

25.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.26 MX$39.33

-19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.39 MX$24.17

10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.54

$1.12 MX$19.47

-44.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.05 €6.15

$4.22 MX$73.6

67.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 €7.98

$17.51 MX$305

-47.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.71 MX$29.82

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.63 MX$63.4

-27.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.35 MX$6.15

551.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 €32.90

$19.32 MX$337

95.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 €5.98

$1.38 MX$24.00

397.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.98

$0.28 MX$4.81

303.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 €29.69

$5.28 MX$92.0

544.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.36 MX$23.69

55.88%

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

$28.0K €24.4K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

46.38%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

56.52%

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

$267 €233

$40.53 MX$707

558.08%

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

$12.87 €11.22

$27.38 MX$478

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.48 €26.58

$30.38 MX$530

0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 €58.3

$52.2 MX$911

28.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 €20.14

$26.48 MX$462

-12.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.44

$6.19 MX$108

74.96%

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

$715 €623

$425 MX$7,414

68.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,969

$10.7K MX$187.2K

6.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 €86.2

$58.3 MX$1,017

69.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 €37.22

$44.57 MX$777

-4.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.0

$103 MX$1,805

-0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €112

$109 MX$1,897

18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 €749

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 €592

$623 MX$10.9K

9.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 €1,437

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-22.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 €1,116

$1,223 MX$21.3K

4.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,686 €3,213

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-2.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,183 €1,903

$2,110 MX$36.8K

3.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,055 €1,792

$1,052 MX$18.4K

95.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

11.34

-62.61%

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

Last update for Modena: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $859 in Modena and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Modena pays 95% 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: $80.0 in Modena vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $293 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

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

Modena and Mexico City differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,999 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Modena, 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: $859 in Modena versus $1,014 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 95% less than in Modena. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $715 in Modena versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,999 in Modena, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Modena. 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, Modena 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 36% less than in Modena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.