Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Piedras Negras and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,050 in Piedras Negras versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,674 in Piedras Negras versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,298 in Piedras Negras versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Piedras Negras costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Piedras Negras is 22% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.76 MX$136

$13.18 MX$230

-41.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.24 MX$423

$53.9 MX$941

-55.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$137

$9.42 MX$165

-16.56%

Cappuccino

$2.50 MX$43.60

$3.55 MX$62.0

-29.58%

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

$1.28 MX$22.40

$1.62 MX$28.25

-20.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 MX$11.00

$1.11 MX$19.46

-43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 MX$23.72

$3.12 MX$54.5

-56.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$49.77

$4.63 MX$80.9

-38.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.93

$1.70 MX$29.71

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 MX$54.6

$2.72 MX$47.47

14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.91 MX$33.39

-8.90%

Eggs

$3.69 MX$64.4

$2.54 MX$44.29

45.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MX$169

$10.03 MX$175

-3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MX$81.4

$8.09 MX$141

-42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 MX$226

$11.62 MX$203

11.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.58

$2.97 MX$51.8

-12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MX$23.38

$1.81 MX$31.55

-25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.39

$2.01 MX$35.16

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.66

$2.03 MX$35.54

6.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$38.52

$2.12 MX$37.10

4.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.88

$2.27 MX$39.63

-19.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MX$20.33

$1.40 MX$24.45

-17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$20.35

$1.13 MX$19.74

3.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$4.27 MX$74.6

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 MX$192

$15.56 MX$272

-29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.76 MX$30.68

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MX$60.8

$3.60 MX$62.8

-3.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 MX$16.63

$0.38 MX$6.69

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 MX$77.1

$1.38 MX$24.03

219.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$27.06

$0.28 MX$4.83

453.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.45 MX$95.1

51.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.59

$1.30 MX$22.77

-4.62%

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

$18.3K MX$319.1K

$18.7K MX$326.4K

-2.23%

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

$23.8K MX$415.6K

$23.1K MX$404.0K

2.88%

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

$55.9 MX$976

$40.86 MX$714

36.78%

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

$17.33 MX$303

$26.81 MX$468

-35.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.34 MX$443

$29.96 MX$523

-15.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 MX$621

$52.0 MX$908

-31.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 MX$273

$26.84 MX$469

-41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 MX$83.0

$6.30 MX$110

-24.60%

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

$205 MX$3,583

$436 MX$7,617

-52.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,562 MX$62.2K

$10.4K MX$181.9K

-65.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.19 MX$772

$56.7 MX$989

-21.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 MX$703

$44.38 MX$775

-9.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 MX$1,568

$103 MX$1,798

-12.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.8 MX$1,272

$106 MX$1,843

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,816

$1,022 MX$17.8K

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,803

$631 MX$11.0K

-38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 MX$16.5K

$2,136 MX$37.3K

-55.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.5K

$1,243 MX$21.7K

-38.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,978 MX$34.5K

$3,903 MX$68.2K

-49.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 MX$22.0K

$2,064 MX$36.1K

-38.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,737 MX$30.3K

$1,115 MX$19.5K

55.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.34

1.23%

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

Last update for Piedras Negras: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Piedras Negras and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piedras Negras pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Piedras Negras vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $288 per month, with Piedras Negras 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

Piedras Negras vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piedras Negras and Mexico City differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,050 vs $1,467 including rent). Piedras Negras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Piedras Negras pays 56% 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: $505 in Piedras Negras versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 in Piedras Negras versus $436 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 Piedras Negras – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,050 in Piedras Negras versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Piedras Negras but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Piedras Negras 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.

Expats usually find Piedras Negras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.