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: $1,215 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,902 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,590 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Oaxaca de Juarez costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oaxaca de Juarez is 12% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 MX$118

$12.11 MX$206

-42.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.78 MX$608

$52.2 MX$887

-31.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 MX$154

$10.90 MX$185

-17.06%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MX$49.56

$4.05 MX$68.8

-27.90%

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

$1.59 MX$26.95

$1.72 MX$29.13

-7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.47

$1.38 MX$23.40

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$45.32

$3.47 MX$58.9

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$71.7

$5.81 MX$98.7

-27.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.53

$1.85 MX$31.48

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.1

$3.22 MX$54.7

0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MX$20.54

$2.09 MX$35.42

-42.11%

Eggs

$1.79 MX$30.36

$2.91 MX$49.41

-38.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 MX$118

$12.49 MX$212

-44.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 MX$101

$10.11 MX$172

-40.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 MX$203

$15.89 MX$270

-24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 MX$40.39

$3.31 MX$56.3

-28.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$22.10

$2.13 MX$36.12

-38.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.37

$2.19 MX$37.20

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 MX$10.30

$2.45 MX$41.57

-75.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.20

$2.19 MX$37.18

2.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$36.86

$1.90 MX$32.35

14.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MX$19.81

$1.62 MX$27.44

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.70

$1.35 MX$22.92

-27.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.43 MX$92.1

-15.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 MX$172

$17.59 MX$299

-42.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$26.55

$2.07 MX$35.12

-24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$46.21

$4.75 MX$80.6

-42.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.72

$0.34 MX$5.77

67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 MX$71.2

$2.04 MX$34.65

105.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 MX$35.75

$0.58 MX$9.82

263.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.55 MX$196

$5.97 MX$101

93.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.70

$1.62 MX$27.44

-10.49%

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

$23.0K MX$390.3K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

0.74%

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

$26.3K MX$447.3K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-1.20%

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

$64.6 MX$1,097

$65.2 MX$1,108

-1.00%

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

$11.58 MX$197

$29.87 MX$507

-61.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.13 MX$444

$36.55 MX$621

-28.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 MX$810

$61.0 MX$1,036

-21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$99.5

$6.85 MX$116

-14.45%

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

$450 MX$7,648

$453 MX$7,700

-0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K MX$361.5K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

59.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.60 MX$842

$75.0 MX$1,273

-33.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.1 MX$1,139

$55.3 MX$939

21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,827

$114 MX$1,929

-5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,766

$123 MX$2,083

-15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$12.9K

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 MX$8,771

$712 MX$12.1K

-27.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 MX$21.7K

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-50.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 MX$16.2K

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-27.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

11.3

-3.01%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $761 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $345 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $1,646 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 $1,823 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $2,469 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: $761 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $450 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $453 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 $36.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,215 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $1,646 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.