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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,525 in Montreux versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,306 in Montreux versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,088 in Montreux versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Montreux is roughly 112% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 158% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.18 CHF 25.74

$11.92 MX$206

161.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$135 CHF 112

$51.6 MX$890

162.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.32 CHF 15.12

$11.41 MX$197

60.56%

Cappuccino

$6.24 CHF 5.15

$3.99 MX$68.9

56.39%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.31

$1.66 MX$28.61

214.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.54

$1.33 MX$22.87

221.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 8.33

$3.47 MX$59.9

190.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 CHF 8.14

$5.90 MX$102

67.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.88 MX$32.36

20.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 CHF 2.97

$3.25 MX$56.1

10.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.69

$2.16 MX$37.26

50.46%

Eggs

$7.14 CHF 5.89

$2.90 MX$49.94

146.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.65 CHF 21.17

$12.86 MX$222

99.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.97 CHF 23.09

$10.05 MX$173

178.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.15 CHF 33.14

$15.86 MX$273

153.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CHF 3.08

$3.29 MX$56.8

13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$2.01 MX$34.60

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.06

$2.20 MX$37.93

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 CHF 3.72

$2.36 MX$40.63

91.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 CHF 1.57

$2.05 MX$35.43

-6.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$1.90 MX$32.79

8.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.61 MX$27.68

30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$1.40 MX$24.09

26.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 9.31

$5.46 MX$94.2

106.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 CHF 10.15

$17.65 MX$304

-30.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CHF 2.25

$2.06 MX$35.44

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$4.68 MX$80.8

-28.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 CHF 3.68

$0.34 MX$5.84

1211.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.9

$20.81 MX$359

382.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.48

$2.10 MX$36.15

274.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.84 CHF 3.17

$0.56 MX$9.64

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.4 CHF 53.2

$5.81 MX$100

1008.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.95

$1.61 MX$27.68

47.20%

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

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

73.10%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.7K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

52.85%

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

$294 CHF 242

$65.2 MX$1,124

350.34%

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

$37.71 CHF 31.13

$30.09 MX$519

25.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 CHF 42.60

$37.18 MX$641

38.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 75.0

$59.8 MX$1,030

52.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.17 CHF 38.11

$26.55 MX$458

73.90%

Cinema Ticket

$24.22 CHF 19.99

$7.04 MX$121

244.03%

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

$2,433 CHF 2,008

$465 MX$8,012

423.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K CHF 30.0K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

173.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 116

$75.9 MX$1,308

85.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.1 CHF 66.1

$56.0 MX$965

43.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 137

$112 MX$1,929

48.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 CHF 158

$121 MX$2,078

59.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CHF 1,462

$1,103 MX$19.0K

60.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 CHF 1,222

$721 MX$12.4K

105.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,938 CHF 2,425

$2,530 MX$43.6K

16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 CHF 2,109

$1,293 MX$22.3K

97.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

305.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

490.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,061 CHF 6,653

$1,037 MX$17.9K

677.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

11.3

-82.74%

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

Last update for Montreux: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,771 in Montreux and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 677% 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: $135 in Montreux vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $583 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

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

Montreux and Mexico City differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($3,525 vs $1,660 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 677% higher in Montreux, 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: $1,771 in Montreux versus $1,103 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 383% less than in Montreux. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,433 in Montreux versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $3,525 in Montreux, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Montreux. 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, Montreux 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 112% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.