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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Monrovia versus $1,691 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,905 in Monrovia versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in Monrovia versus $3,507 in Mexico City.

Living in Monrovia costs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 4% below, Mexico City is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 LRD 1,340

$11.91 MX$203

-37.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$880

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 LRD 1,949

$10.41 MX$178

3.55%

Cappuccino

$2.93 LRD 529

$3.94 MX$67.1

-25.63%

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

$1.94 LRD 351

$1.65 MX$28.18

17.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 LRD 352

$1.29 MX$22.01

51.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 LRD 739

$3.48 MX$59.4

17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LRD 532

$5.98 MX$102

-50.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 LRD 380

$1.82 MX$31.01

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 LRD 330

$3.28 MX$56.0

-44.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.17 LRD 935

$2.07 MX$35.32

149.76%

Eggs

$3.64 LRD 658

$3.05 MX$52.0

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 LRD 1,354

$12.76 MX$218

-41.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 LRD 2,121

$9.90 MX$169

18.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 LRD 2,521

$16.11 MX$275

-13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 LRD 294

$3.43 MX$58.6

-52.48%

Banana (1kg)

$8.61 LRD 1,556

$2.09 MX$35.66

311.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.27 LRD 1,856

$2.09 MX$35.73

391.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.13 LRD 2,012

$2.51 MX$42.79

343.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 LRD 405

$2.08 MX$35.54

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$10.64 LRD 1,922

$1.90 MX$32.49

460.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.61 LRD 833

$1.51 MX$25.70

205.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 LRD 371

$1.33 MX$22.69

54.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 LRD 901

$5.53 MX$94.4

-9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.92 LRD 1,249

$17.82 MX$304

-61.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 LRD 457

$2.01 MX$34.23

25.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 LRD 637

$4.77 MX$81.3

-26.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 LRD 530

$0.36 MX$6.19

713.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.69 LRD 3,559

$20.77 MX$354

-5.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 LRD 355

$2.06 MX$35.12

-4.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 LRD 338

$0.61 MX$10.38

206.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 LRD 4,541

$5.79 MX$98.8

334.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LRD 219

$1.62 MX$27.56

-25.31%

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

$20.3K LRD 3.7M

$22.9K MX$390.1K

-11.19%

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

$14.9K LRD 2.7M

$26.3K MX$447.9K

-43.37%

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

$149 LRD 27.0K

$65.7 MX$1,121

127.26%

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

$22.11 LRD 3,995

$29.93 MX$511

-26.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$178 LRD 32.2K

$36.04 MX$615

395.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 LRD 11.2K

$58.6 MX$1,000

5.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.81 LRD 1,773

$26.07 MX$445

-62.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 LRD 909

$6.88 MX$117

-26.89%

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

$99.7 LRD 18.0K

$448 MX$7,640

-77.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$986 LRD 178.2K

$13.1K MX$223.9K

-92.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.25 LRD 4,561

$73.3 MX$1,251

-65.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.05 LRD 5,791

$54.2 MX$925

-40.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.0 LRD 9,750

$112 MX$1,914

-51.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 LRD 16.7K

$123 MX$2,091

-24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 LRD 45.1K

$1,102 MX$18.8K

-77.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.7 LRD 17.3K

$710 MX$12.1K

-86.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 LRD 118.8K

$2,524 MX$43.1K

-73.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 LRD 48.4K

$1,343 MX$22.9K

-80.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,913 MX$66.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 LRD 128.5K

$1,066 MX$18.2K

-33.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Monrovia: August 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $249 in Monrovia and $1,102 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 50% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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

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

Monrovia and Mexico City differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,303 vs $1,691 including rent). Monrovia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $249 in Monrovia versus $1,102 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99.7 in Monrovia versus $448 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 5% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,303 in Monrovia versus $1,691 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia 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.

Expats usually find Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.