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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $522 in Pisco versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $819 in Pisco versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,117 in Pisco versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Pisco costs roughly 64% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pisco is 61% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 PEN 7.38

$12.98 MX$223

-83.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.02 PEN 37.48

$52.6 MX$903

-79.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 PEN 11.37

$9.43 MX$162

-64.48%

Cappuccino

$1.42 PEN 4.82

$3.57 MX$61.3

-60.22%

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

$0.68 PEN 2.30

$1.61 MX$27.55

-57.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 PEN 0.92

$1.15 MX$19.81

-76.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 PEN 6.47

$3.15 MX$54.0

-39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PEN 12.93

$4.86 MX$83.4

-21.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 PEN 5.04

$1.70 MX$29.17

-12.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.84

$2.64 MX$45.23

-1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.90 MX$32.67

-28.95%

Eggs

$2.83 PEN 9.61

$2.54 MX$43.62

11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 PEN 27.48

$10.08 MX$173

-19.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 PEN 19.45

$8.29 MX$142

-31.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 PEN 36.21

$11.57 MX$199

-7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 PEN 6.64

$3.03 MX$52.0

-35.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.68

$1.71 MX$29.35

-36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 PEN 3.76

$2.05 MX$35.16

-45.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 PEN 4.29

$2.06 MX$35.36

-38.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.51

$2.06 MX$35.43

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.16

$2.17 MX$37.25

-57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$1.40 MX$24.08

-38.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$1.12 MX$19.26

-16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 PEN 18.80

$4.29 MX$73.7

28.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 PEN 28.62

$15.41 MX$265

-45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 PEN 5.78

$1.67 MX$28.74

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 PEN 10.31

$3.69 MX$63.3

-17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 PEN 11.16

$1.38 MX$23.70

137.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 PEN 7.21

$0.28 MX$4.74

657.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 PEN 28.79

$5.42 MX$92.9

56.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 PEN 4.41

$1.28 MX$21.98

1.56%

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

$19.6K PEN 66.7K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

3.43%

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

$24.8K PEN 84.3K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

5.69%

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

$57.2 PEN 195

$41.02 MX$704

39.52%

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

$12.81 PEN 43.54

$26.92 MX$462

-52.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.45 PEN 79.7

$29.69 MX$510

-21.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 PEN 23.37

$6.18 MX$106

11.17%

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

$216 PEN 734

$427 MX$7,331

-49.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,003 PEN 27.2K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-25.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 PEN 173

$56.8 MX$975

-10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.62 PEN 124

$44.83 MX$769

-18.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 PEN 308

$105 MX$1,794

-13.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 PEN 298

$106 MX$1,819

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 PEN 6,057

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-54.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 PEN 4,514

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-36.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$557 PEN 1,893

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-49.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

11.34

-10.85%

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

Last update for Pisco: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 99% 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: $11.00 in Pisco vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $288 per month, with Pisco 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

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

Pisco and Mexico City differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($522 vs $1,447 including rent). Pisco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 99% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $216 in Pisco versus $427 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 Pisco – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $522 in Pisco versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco 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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.