Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Narita and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Narita: $1,203 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Narita, Japan
Mexico City, Mexico
Narita
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,203
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Narita and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Narita and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,203 in Narita versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

  • Narita $1,203
  • Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Narita versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

  • Narita $1,912
  • Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,620 in Narita versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

  • Narita $2,620
  • Mexico City $3,490

Living in Narita costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Narita is 12% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.73 ¥903
$10.62 MX$199
-46.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.80 ¥6,585
$48.35 MX$908
-13.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.42 ¥697
$10.35 MX$194
-57.29%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ¥512
$3.69 MX$69.3
-11.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥124
$1.67 MX$31.29
-53.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ¥115
$1.27 MX$23.76
-42.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.07 ¥326
$3.19 MX$59.9
-35.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 ¥508
$5.31 MX$99.6
-39.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 ¥196
$1.72 MX$32.38
-27.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 ¥272
$3.04 MX$57.1
-43.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.63 ¥572
$1.94 MX$36.44
87.11%
Eggs
$1.98 ¥313
$2.89 MX$54.2
-31.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.31 ¥1,624
$10.97 MX$206
-6.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.13 ¥965
$9.25 MX$174
-33.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.34 ¥2,260
$15.13 MX$284
-5.22%
Apples (1kg)
$5.83 ¥918
$3.05 MX$57.2
91.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 ¥430
$1.94 MX$36.45
40.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 ¥459
$2.03 MX$38.02
43.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.16 ¥655
$2.31 MX$43.46
80.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 ¥416
$2.04 MX$38.21
29.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.69 ¥423
$1.80 MX$33.79
49.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 ¥205
$1.48 MX$27.77
-12.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥129
$1.27 MX$23.80
-35.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.78 ¥596
$5.30 MX$99.6
-28.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 ¥979
$16.10 MX$302
-61.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 ¥282
$1.98 MX$37.23
-9.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 ¥329
$4.25 MX$79.8
-50.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 ¥234
$0.31 MX$5.73
377.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.9 ¥10.2K
$19.73 MX$371
229.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 ¥512
$1.84 MX$34.50
76.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 ¥255
$0.53 MX$10.02
205.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.95 ¥3,300
$5.30 MX$99.4
295.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 ¥162
$1.51 MX$28.36
-31.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ¥3.4M
$21.8K MX$408.4K
0.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.1K ¥2.5M
$24.0K MX$450.3K
-32.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 ¥20.6K
$63.0 MX$1,182
107.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.14 ¥3,802
$27.39 MX$514
-11.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.35 ¥4,465
$35.67 MX$670
-20.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ¥8,245
$58.9 MX$1,107
-11.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.64 MX$444
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.49 ¥1,809
$6.40 MX$120
79.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$828 ¥130.4K
$432 MX$8,103
91.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ¥2.3M
$11.4K MX$214.5K
29.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.3 ¥9,808
$68.2 MX$1,281
-8.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.42 ¥5,736
$53.1 MX$997
-31.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 ¥9,610
$108 MX$2,023
-43.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 ¥16.5K
$117 MX$2,202
-10.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$540 ¥85.0K
$1,113 MX$20.9K
-51.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 ¥52.6K
$710 MX$13.3K
-53.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$901 ¥142.0K
$2,588 MX$48.6K
-65.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$700 ¥110.2K
$1,406 MX$26.4K
-50.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,825 ¥602.5K
$3,631 MX$68.2K
5.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,316 ¥364.9K
$2,135 MX$40.1K
8.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Narita
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,258 ¥198.1K
$946 MX$17.8K
32.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.64
11.35
-76.74%

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

Last update for Narita: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Narita
$334
Mexico City
$710 113% $377
Groceries & Markets
Narita
$289
Mexico City
$320 10.7% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Narita
$183
Mexico City
$126 31.2% $57
Eating Out
Narita
$121
Mexico City
$199 64.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Narita
$119
Mexico City
$156 31% $37
Getting Around
Narita
$82
Mexico City
$25 69% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Narita
$75
Mexico City
$72 4.7% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Narita and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narita pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42 in Narita vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $320 per month, with Narita cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Narita
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
19:10 7:10 PM
04:10 4:10 AM
15 h behind Narita
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
131,613
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Narita Mexico City 11,250 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Narita
  • Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Narita vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Narita and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,203 in Narita and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Narita is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Narita or Mexico City?
Average pay runs 33% higher in Narita, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Narita and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $540 in Narita versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Narita and in Mexico City?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 70% less than in Narita. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Narita and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $828 in Narita versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,203 in Narita versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Narita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Narita and Mexico City?
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.

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