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: $3,973 in Montreux versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,762 in Montreux versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,551 in Montreux versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Montreux is roughly 170% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreux 198% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.14 CHF 25.13

$13.14 MX$227

136.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 120

$53.5 MX$926

178.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.82 CHF 15.18

$9.33 MX$161

101.71%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.76

$3.70 MX$64.0

59.46%

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

$5.28 CHF 4.26

$1.60 MX$27.76

230.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 CHF 3.83

$1.12 MX$19.34

324.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.99 CHF 8.06

$3.14 MX$54.3

218.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 CHF 6.82

$4.85 MX$83.9

74.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.65 MX$28.61

29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 CHF 3.12

$2.71 MX$46.96

42.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.51 CHF 3.64

$1.91 MX$33.03

136.13%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.72

$2.59 MX$44.81

173.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.35 CHF 22.87

$9.81 MX$170

188.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.10 CHF 22.68

$8.43 MX$146

233.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.38 CHF 35.01

$11.93 MX$206

263.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 CHF 3.11

$2.95 MX$51.1

30.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.74 MX$30.10

18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.27

$2.04 MX$35.38

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 CHF 5.14

$2.06 MX$35.64

209.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.57

$2.15 MX$37.20

47.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.97

$2.26 MX$39.02

7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CHF 2.10

$1.39 MX$23.97

87.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CHF 1.22

$1.12 MX$19.31

34.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.82

$4.22 MX$73.0

159.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 CHF 9.89

$17.51 MX$303

-29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.65

$1.71 MX$29.58

19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.50

$3.63 MX$62.8

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 CHF 3.24

$0.35 MX$6.10

1048.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.9 CHF 74.9

$19.32 MX$334

380.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 CHF 6.22

$1.38 MX$23.80

457.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.06 CHF 3.27

$0.28 MX$4.77

1350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.4 CHF 54.4

$5.28 MX$91.3

1177.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.36 MX$23.50

64.71%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.0K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

107.45%

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

$41.4K CHF 33.4K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

75.26%

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

$302 CHF 244

$40.53 MX$701

646.02%

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

$49.69 CHF 40.10

$27.38 MX$474

81.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CHF 47.67

$30.38 MX$526

94.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 CHF 65.1

$52.2 MX$903

54.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.99 CHF 37.11

$26.48 MX$458

73.68%

Cinema Ticket

$23.10 CHF 18.65

$6.19 MX$107

273.18%

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

$2,610 CHF 2,106

$425 MX$7,355

513.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.9K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

222.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 CHF 88.4

$58.3 MX$1,009

87.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 CHF 55.5

$44.57 MX$771

54.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 CHF 142

$103 MX$1,791

69.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 149

$109 MX$1,881

69.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 CHF 1,755

$1,014 MX$17.5K

114.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 CHF 1,608

$623 MX$10.8K

219.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,322 CHF 2,681

$2,119 MX$36.7K

56.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 CHF 2,259

$1,223 MX$21.2K

128.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K CHF 11.6K

$3,792 MX$65.6K

280.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 9,964

$2,110 MX$36.5K

485.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,185 CHF 6,605

$1,052 MX$18.2K

677.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

11.34

-77.95%

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

Last update for Montreux: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,174 in Montreux and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreux pays 678% 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 Montreux vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $621 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

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

Montreux and Mexico City differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($3,973 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 678% 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: $2,174 in Montreux 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 381% less than in Montreux. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,610 in Montreux 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 $3,973 in Montreux, a $2,000 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 170% less than in Montreux. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.