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: $1,392 in Monrovia versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,467 in Monrovia versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,542 in Monrovia versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Monrovia costs roughly 6% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monrovia 4% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 LRD 1,373

$12.98 MX$227

-42.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 LRD 27.3K

$53.1 MX$929

180.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 LRD 1,984

$9.72 MX$170

11.21%

Cappuccino

$3.34 LRD 614

$3.75 MX$65.6

-10.93%

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

$2.05 LRD 376

$1.57 MX$27.46

30.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 LRD 497

$1.13 MX$19.76

139.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 LRD 509

$3.18 MX$55.7

-12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 LRD 544

$4.66 MX$81.6

-36.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 LRD 397

$1.62 MX$28.37

33.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 LRD 323

$2.71 MX$47.36

-35.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.09 LRD 933

$1.88 MX$32.89

170.74%

Eggs

$3.67 LRD 673

$2.51 MX$43.90

46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 LRD 2,171

$10.08 MX$176

17.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 LRD 2,193

$8.29 MX$145

44.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.17 LRD 6,638

$11.94 MX$209

202.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 LRD 305

$2.86 MX$50.1

-41.96%

Banana (1kg)

$8.24 LRD 1,512

$1.75 MX$30.62

370.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.24 LRD 1,879

$2.08 MX$36.48

392.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.92 LRD 2,005

$1.97 MX$34.46

454.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 LRD 412

$2.16 MX$37.79

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$10.58 LRD 1,941

$2.18 MX$38.16

385.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.58 LRD 841

$1.39 MX$24.34

229.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 LRD 362

$1.12 MX$19.69

75.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 LRD 925

$4.20 MX$73.5

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 LRD 1,309

$14.25 MX$249

-49.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 LRD 469

$1.76 MX$30.85

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 LRD 612

$3.68 MX$64.5

-9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 LRD 535

$0.39 MX$6.74

648.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.95 LRD 3,661

$18.66 MX$327

6.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 LRD 495

$1.39 MX$24.26

94.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 LRD 231

$0.30 MX$5.32

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.45 LRD 3,203

$5.42 MX$94.9

221.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LRD 222

$1.35 MX$23.63

-10.37%

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

$12.4K LRD 2.3M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

-34.19%

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

$14.8K LRD 2.7M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-36.16%

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

$273 LRD 50.1K

$40.82 MX$714

569.01%

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

$22.91 LRD 4,205

$27.50 MX$481

-16.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$92.4 LRD 17.0K

$30.38 MX$532

204.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.7 LRD 14.1K

$53.4 MX$935

43.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 LRD 1,496

$26.30 MX$460

-69.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 LRD 1,814

$6.27 MX$110

57.74%

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

$128 LRD 23.5K

$436 MX$7,632

-70.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$910 LRD 167.0K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-91.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.68 LRD 3,429

$56.8 MX$993

-67.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 LRD 6,220

$44.79 MX$784

-24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 LRD 10.2K

$103 MX$1,799

-45.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 LRD 12.7K

$108 MX$1,888

-35.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 LRD 123.5K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.8 LRD 17.6K

$620 MX$10.9K

-84.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 LRD 331.7K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-15.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 LRD 49.0K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-78.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 LRD 127.5K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

-34.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-55.91%

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

Last update for Monrovia: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Monrovia and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 54% 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: $149 in Monrovia vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $535 vs $286 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

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

Monrovia and Mexico City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,392 vs $1,484 including rent). Monrovia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 54% less. 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: $673 in Monrovia versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Monrovia versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,392 in Monrovia versus $1,484 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 7% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.