Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,236 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez is 22% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.67 MX$99.2

$13.07 MX$229

-56.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.18 MX$458

$53.8 MX$940

-51.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 MX$138

$9.68 MX$169

-18.29%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MX$46.58

$3.74 MX$65.4

-28.88%

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

$1.20 MX$20.91

$1.62 MX$28.25

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.88

$1.16 MX$20.31

-41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.41

$3.23 MX$56.4

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$61.8

$4.74 MX$82.9

-25.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.43

$1.65 MX$28.80

-22.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.59

$2.75 MX$48.15

-5.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$18.73

$1.87 MX$32.77

-42.78%

Eggs

$1.60 MX$28.00

$2.50 MX$43.72

-36.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 MX$112

$10.20 MX$178

-37.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.64 MX$81.1

$8.25 MX$144

-43.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.82 MX$189

$11.82 MX$207

-8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.85

$3.01 MX$52.6

-29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 MX$20.65

$1.81 MX$31.67

-34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.73

$2.00 MX$34.96

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$2.00 MX$34.89

-74.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.60

$2.08 MX$36.45

0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 MX$32.06

$2.27 MX$39.72

-19.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$1.46 MX$25.47

-29.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.47

$1.08 MX$18.82

-28.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 MX$71.9

$4.35 MX$76.0

-5.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 MX$173

$16.99 MX$297

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.80

$1.73 MX$30.31

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$47.50

$3.58 MX$62.5

-24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MX$8.81

$0.39 MX$6.77

28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MX$44.92

$1.33 MX$23.18

93.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.96

$0.28 MX$4.89

757.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.76 MX$188

$5.25 MX$91.8

104.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 MX$21.39

$1.34 MX$23.37

-8.96%

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

$22.2K MX$388.9K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

14.58%

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

$24.1K MX$421.1K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

1.05%

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

$66.3 MX$1,160

$40.69 MX$712

62.99%

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

$10.52 MX$184

$26.87 MX$470

-60.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 MX$416

$30.51 MX$534

-22.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.58 MX$552

$52.8 MX$923

-40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.69 MX$274

$26.65 MX$466

-41.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 MX$90.8

$6.51 MX$114

-20.28%

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

$369 MX$6,456

$428 MX$7,485

-13.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,653 MX$63.9K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-65.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.19 MX$668

$57.3 MX$1,001

-33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 MX$1,057

$45.50 MX$796

32.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.3 MX$1,177

$104 MX$1,819

-35.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 MX$1,736

$108 MX$1,885

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 MX$10.2K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,370

$623 MX$10.9K

-32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 MX$18.3K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-50.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 MX$15.0K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-29.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.34

-0.79%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $292 per month, with Oaxaca de Juarez 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

Oaxaca de Juarez vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oaxaca de Juarez and Mexico City differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,047 vs $1,456 including rent). Oaxaca de Juarez is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,571 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $2,185 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $585 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 in Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oaxaca de Juarez but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Oaxaca de Juarez 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, Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.