Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
Learn more

Putian Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Putian and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Putian and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Putian versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Putian $518
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $854 in Putian versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Putian $854
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,190 in Putian versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Putian $1,190
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Putian costs roughly 67% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Putian is 62% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$11.02 MX$204

-79.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$48.68 MX$900

-52.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$10.90 MX$201

-52.57%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$3.68 MX$68.1

-33.70%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.63 MX$30.18

-73.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$1.25 MX$23.07

-76.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$3.25 MX$60.1

-76.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$5.53 MX$102

-47.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.70 MX$31.50

-13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.02 MX$55.8

-25.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.92 MX$35.53

-51.56%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$2.73 MX$50.5

-42.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$11.77 MX$218

-0.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$9.53 MX$176

-74.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$14.41 MX$266

-15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$3.02 MX$55.8

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.89 MX$35.01

-24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$1.99 MX$36.70

-14.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$2.19 MX$40.38

-9.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$1.92 MX$35.43

-46.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$1.87 MX$34.49

-5.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.44 MX$26.62

-35.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$1.27 MX$23.39

-60.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$5.22 MX$96.4

-41.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$16.17 MX$299

-30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$1.90 MX$35.03

-56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$4.22 MX$78.0

-59.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.34 MX$6.30

117.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$19.65 MX$363

13.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$2.00 MX$36.90

-24.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.52 MX$9.67

-44.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$5.34 MX$98.7

31.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.52 MX$28.13

-13.82%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

-12.06%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

-27.50%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$61.1 MX$1,129

-27.90%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$28.58 MX$528

-68.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$34.47 MX$637

-69.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$6.66 MX$123

51.35%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$427 MX$7,891

15.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

110.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$67.8 MX$1,253

-42.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$52.0 MX$960

-43.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$106 MX$1,959

-2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$113 MX$2,080

-23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-26.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-42.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$964 MX$17.8K

-50.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

11.3

-69.38%

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

Last update for Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 47.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 31.5% $36

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 172% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Mexico City

$124 8% 95.6% $61

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 9.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 246% $50

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 101% 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: $23.00 in Putian vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $318 per month, with Putian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

20:27 8:27 PM

14 h behind Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Putian Mexico City 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Putian
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Putian and Mexico City differ by about 199% in total monthly costs ($518 vs $1,548 including rent). Putian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

A monthly transit pass in Putian runs roughly 14% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $492 in Putian versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $518 in Putian versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Putian 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 Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 199% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.