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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,541 in Queretaro versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,316 in Queretaro versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,091 in Queretaro versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Queretaro costs roughly 6% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queretaro 12% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 MX$199

$12.11 MX$205

-2.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 MX$1,123

$52.2 MX$882

27.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 MX$164

$10.90 MX$184

-10.92%

Cappuccino

$3.91 MX$66.0

$4.05 MX$68.4

-3.46%

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

$1.85 MX$31.19

$1.72 MX$28.96

7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.51

$1.38 MX$23.26

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MX$65.8

$3.47 MX$58.5

12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 MX$100

$5.81 MX$98.1

2.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MX$33.56

$1.85 MX$31.30

7.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$48.48

$3.22 MX$54.4

-10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$36.39

$2.09 MX$35.21

3.35%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$48.72

$2.91 MX$49.12

-0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 MX$156

$12.49 MX$211

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 MX$160

$10.11 MX$171

-6.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 MX$249

$15.89 MX$268

-7.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$3.31 MX$56.0

11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$28.82

$2.13 MX$35.91

-19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MX$39.56

$2.19 MX$36.99

6.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 MX$35.58

$2.45 MX$41.33

-13.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.06

$2.19 MX$36.96

-5.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$32.94

$1.90 MX$32.16

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$26.71

$1.62 MX$27.28

-2.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$21.43

$1.35 MX$22.79

-5.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 MX$80.9

$5.43 MX$91.6

-11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 MX$324

$17.59 MX$297

9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 MX$40.43

$2.07 MX$34.92

15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$75.2

$4.75 MX$80.1

-6.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$10.80

$0.34 MX$5.74

88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.02 MX$456

$21.58 MX$364

25.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 MX$58.2

$2.04 MX$34.45

68.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 MX$47.99

$0.58 MX$9.76

389.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.74 MX$198

$5.97 MX$101

96.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.14

$1.62 MX$27.28

-0.62%

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

$23.2K MX$391.8K

$22.8K MX$385.2K

1.72%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$26.7K MX$450.2K

-2.70%

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

$64.6 MX$1,091

$65.2 MX$1,102

-0.95%

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

$29.23 MX$494

$29.87 MX$504

-2.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.98 MX$456

$36.55 MX$617

-26.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 MX$1,044

$61.0 MX$1,030

1.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 MX$445

$26.70 MX$451

-1.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 MX$134

$6.85 MX$116

16.20%

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

$282 MX$4,768

$453 MX$7,656

-37.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,412 MX$91.4K

$13.4K MX$225.8K

-59.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 MX$960

$75.0 MX$1,266

-24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.42 MX$801

$55.3 MX$934

-14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,801

$114 MX$1,918

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,777

$123 MX$2,071

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 MX$15.6K

$1,134 MX$19.1K

-18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 MX$10.2K

$712 MX$12.0K

-14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 MX$27.1K

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-37.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 MX$15.0K

$1,311 MX$22.1K

-32.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 MX$40.6K

$3,993 MX$67.4K

-39.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 MX$22.8K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-35.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$16.0K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-9.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

11.3

6.11%

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

Last update for Queretaro: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Queretaro and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 11% 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: $67.0 in Queretaro vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $345, with Queretaro cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Queretaro and Mexico City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,541 vs $1,646 including rent). Queretaro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in Queretaro versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Queretaro runs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Queretaro versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,541 in Queretaro versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Queretaro but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Queretaro 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, Queretaro 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 Queretaro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.