Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,119 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,772 in Puerto Escondido versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,424 in Puerto Escondido versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Puerto Escondido costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Escondido is 16% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.27 MX$161

$13.18 MX$228

-29.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.44 MX$683

$53.9 MX$934

-26.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$134

$9.42 MX$163

-17.62%

Cappuccino

$3.31 MX$57.4

$3.55 MX$61.5

-6.76%

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

$1.29 MX$22.29

$1.62 MX$28.03

-20.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.85

$1.11 MX$19.31

-12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.87

$3.12 MX$54.1

-16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$69.1

$4.63 MX$80.2

-13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$25.30

$1.70 MX$29.48

-14.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.41

$2.72 MX$47.10

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.78

$1.91 MX$33.13

-43.46%

Eggs

$1.92 MX$33.35

$2.54 MX$43.94

-24.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$140

$10.03 MX$174

-19.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 MX$137

$8.09 MX$140

-2.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 MX$204

$11.62 MX$201

1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.67

$2.97 MX$51.4

-9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 MX$18.11

$1.81 MX$31.30

-41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.91

$2.01 MX$34.88

-11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.45

$2.03 MX$35.26

-16.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.32

$2.12 MX$36.82

1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.03

$2.27 MX$39.32

14.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 MX$20.15

$1.40 MX$24.26

-17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.14

$1.13 MX$19.59

-12.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 MX$87.2

$4.27 MX$74.0

17.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 MX$187

$15.56 MX$270

-30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.76 MX$30.44

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$49.44

$3.60 MX$62.3

-20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.03

$0.38 MX$6.64

81.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$44.01

$1.38 MX$23.84

84.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.78

$0.28 MX$4.79

453.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MX$143

$5.45 MX$94.4

51.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.85

$1.30 MX$22.60

1.54%

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

$21.3K MX$369.7K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

14.16%

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

$22.4K MX$388.6K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-3.04%

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

$56.0 MX$971

$40.86 MX$708

37.10%

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

$22.46 MX$389

$26.81 MX$465

-16.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 MX$961

$29.96 MX$519

85.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.09 MX$365

$52.0 MX$901

-59.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.77 MX$187

$26.84 MX$465

-59.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MX$79.3

$6.30 MX$109

-27.30%

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

$160 MX$2,780

$436 MX$7,558

-63.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,654 MX$63.3K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-64.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MX$902

$56.7 MX$982

-8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 MX$700

$44.38 MX$769

-9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 MX$1,583

$103 MX$1,784

-11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 MX$1,379

$106 MX$1,829

-24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 MX$6,854

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-61.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,754

$631 MX$10.9K

-38.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 MX$15.9K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-56.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 MX$13.1K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-39.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,100 MX$36.4K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-46.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MX$20.2K

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-43.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 MX$5,886

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-69.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.34

1.41%

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

Last update for Puerto Escondido: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Puerto Escondido and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 228% 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: $39.00 in Puerto Escondido vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $288 per month, with Puerto Escondido 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

Puerto Escondido vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Escondido and Mexico City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,119 vs $1,467 including rent). Puerto Escondido is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 228% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $395 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,119 in Puerto Escondido versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido 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, Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.