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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Moquegua versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $751 in Moquegua versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,050 in Moquegua versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Living in Moquegua costs roughly 71% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Moquegua is 66% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.93

$11.12 MX$200

-68.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.61 PEN 95.1

$48.99 MX$880

-43.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 PEN 20.03

$11.23 MX$202

-48.17%

Cappuccino

$2.56 PEN 8.82

$3.76 MX$67.5

-31.91%

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

$0.82 PEN 2.82

$1.65 MX$29.69

-50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 PEN 1.27

$1.28 MX$22.98

-71.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PEN 7.44

$3.26 MX$58.5

-33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 PEN 15.05

$5.66 MX$102

-22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 PEN 4.59

$1.81 MX$32.52

-26.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 PEN 4.73

$2.94 MX$52.8

-53.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 PEN 5.31

$2.05 MX$36.82

-24.88%

Eggs

$2.33 PEN 8.01

$2.93 MX$52.6

-20.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 PEN 21.50

$11.95 MX$215

-47.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 PEN 15.95

$9.51 MX$171

-51.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 PEN 25.38

$14.84 MX$267

-50.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 PEN 6.22

$3.14 MX$56.5

-42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 PEN 4.17

$2.01 MX$36.20

-39.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 PEN 4.13

$2.08 MX$37.29

-42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.63

$2.22 MX$39.86

-52.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.38

$2.06 MX$37.01

-66.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 PEN 2.39

$1.88 MX$33.73

-63.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 PEN 1.89

$1.48 MX$26.60

-62.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 PEN 2.56

$1.35 MX$24.17

-45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 PEN 18.19

$5.41 MX$97.2

-2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 PEN 17.58

$16.86 MX$303

-69.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 PEN 9.38

$1.98 MX$35.66

37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 PEN 7.75

$4.32 MX$77.7

-47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 PEN 7.06

$2.10 MX$37.65

-2.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 PEN 6.97

$0.53 MX$9.53

281.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.02 PEN 44.83

$5.41 MX$97.1

140.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 PEN 5.25

$1.52 MX$27.31

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

$18.5K PEN 63.8K

$21.7K MX$390.5K

-14.72%

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

$25.2K PEN 86.9K

$24.8K MX$445.9K

1.74%

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

$23.82 PEN 82.0

$63.0 MX$1,132

-62.17%

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

$10.37 PEN 35.73

$28.88 MX$519

-64.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.27 PEN 80.2

$33.93 MX$610

-31.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,002

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$447

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 PEN 25.26

$6.77 MX$122

8.27%

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

$74.5 PEN 257

$428 MX$7,687

-82.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,749 PEN 23.2K

$11.9K MX$213.3K

-43.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.42 PEN 167

$70.0 MX$1,258

-30.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.56 PEN 91.5

$53.7 MX$966

-50.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.0 PEN 234

$110 MX$1,973

-38.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 PEN 201

$115 MX$2,070

-49.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$42.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

32.74%

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

Last update for Moquegua: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $28.00 in Moquegua vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $327 per month, with Moquegua 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

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

Moquegua and Mexico City differ by about 244% in total monthly costs ($453 vs $1,561 including rent). Moquegua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $680 in Moquegua and $2,341 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $74.5 in Moquegua versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Moquegua – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $453 in Moquegua versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Moquegua but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Moquegua 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, Moquegua 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 Moquegua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.