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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,881 in Msida versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,879 in Msida versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,877 in Msida versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Msida is roughly 27% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Msida 40% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 €9.96

$12.98 MX$226

-10.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €59.5

$53.1 MX$923

31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.56

$9.72 MX$169

15.12%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.92

$3.75 MX$65.2

-40.00%

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

$1.69 €1.44

$1.57 MX$27.30

7.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.13 MX$19.64

-11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.41

$3.18 MX$55.3

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 €3.51

$4.66 MX$81.1

-12.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.62 MX$28.21

-14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.71 MX$47.09

-54.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.88

$1.88 MX$32.70

79.26%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.34

$2.51 MX$43.65

55.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 €8.04

$10.08 MX$175

-6.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 €7.78

$8.29 MX$144

9.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 €13.07

$11.94 MX$208

28.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 €3.81

$2.86 MX$49.77

56.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 €2.71

$1.75 MX$30.45

81.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 €2.84

$2.08 MX$36.27

59.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.22

$1.97 MX$34.27

91.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.13

$2.16 MX$37.58

15.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.14

$2.18 MX$37.94

-38.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 €2.05

$1.39 MX$24.20

72.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.12 MX$19.57

11.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.41

$4.20 MX$73.1

50.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 €7.46

$14.25 MX$248

-38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.76 MX$30.68

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.91

$3.68 MX$64.1

-39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.77

$0.39 MX$6.71

430.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 €26.09

$18.66 MX$325

63.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.05

$1.39 MX$24.12

325.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.07 €3.48

$0.30 MX$5.29

1256.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.77 €42.50

$5.42 MX$94.3

818.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.35 MX$23.50

11.85%

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

$38.6K €32.9K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

104.15%

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

$37.6K €32.2K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

62.61%

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

$85.0 €72.6

$40.82 MX$710

108.30%

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

$28.33 €24.20

$27.50 MX$479

3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €26.71

$30.38 MX$529

2.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.39

$53.4 MX$930

-24.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.48 €20.06

$26.30 MX$458

-10.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.01

$6.27 MX$109

68.26%

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

$765 €653

$436 MX$7,588

75.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,267

$10.5K MX$182.1K

3.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €79.8

$56.8 MX$988

64.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 €32.81

$44.79 MX$779

-14.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.5

$103 MX$1,789

1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.3

$108 MX$1,878

-6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €926

$1,000 MX$17.4K

8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €805

$620 MX$10.8K

51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,725

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,332

$1,235 MX$21.5K

26.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,907 €2,483

$1,067 MX$18.6K

172.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

11.34

-55.20%

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

Last update for Msida: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,084 in Msida and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Msida pays 172% 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: $70.0 in Msida vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 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

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

Msida and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,881 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Msida pays 172% more on average, 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: $1,084 in Msida 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 Mexico City runs roughly 64% less than in Msida. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $765 in Msida versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,881 in Msida, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Msida. 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, Msida 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 27% less than in Msida. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.