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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,110 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Quetzaltenango versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,797 in Quetzaltenango versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Quetzaltenango is 17% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 Q 30.12

$13.07 MX$229

-69.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 Q 261

$53.8 MX$943

-36.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 Q 45.92

$9.68 MX$170

-37.81%

Cappuccino

$2.48 Q 18.88

$3.74 MX$65.6

-33.69%

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

$0.49 Q 3.70

$1.62 MX$28.34

-69.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 Q 3.63

$1.16 MX$20.37

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 Q 10.43

$3.23 MX$56.6

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Q 15.67

$4.74 MX$83.1

-56.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 Q 13.93

$1.65 MX$28.89

10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 Q 20.03

$2.75 MX$48.30

-4.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 Q 15.59

$1.87 MX$32.87

9.09%

Eggs

$2.20 Q 16.75

$2.50 MX$43.86

-12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 Q 60.7

$10.20 MX$179

-21.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 Q 48.45

$8.25 MX$145

-22.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 Q 70.3

$11.82 MX$207

-21.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 Q 18.07

$3.01 MX$52.8

-21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 Q 11.47

$1.81 MX$31.77

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 Q 22.95

$2.00 MX$35.07

50.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 Q 7.79

$2.00 MX$35.00

-49.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 Q 12.91

$2.08 MX$36.56

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 Q 15.02

$2.27 MX$39.85

-13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 Q 5.40

$1.46 MX$25.55

-51.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Q 9.08

$1.08 MX$18.88

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Q 24.70

$4.35 MX$76.3

-25.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 Q 63.0

$16.99 MX$298

-51.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Q 12.83

$1.73 MX$30.40

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 Q 18.41

$3.58 MX$62.7

-32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Q 2.07

$0.39 MX$6.79

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 Q 28.16

$1.33 MX$23.25

177.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 Q 4.88

$0.28 MX$4.91

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 Q 49.39

$5.25 MX$92.1

23.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 Q 7.21

$1.34 MX$23.44

-29.10%

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

$15.6K Q 119.3K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

-19.40%

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

$22.1K Q 168.5K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-7.24%

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

$81.3 Q 620

$40.69 MX$714

99.75%

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

$12.93 Q 98.6

$26.87 MX$471

-51.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.81 Q 364

$30.51 MX$535

56.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 Q 249

$52.8 MX$926

-38.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$7.30 Q 55.7

$6.51 MX$114

12.14%

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

$242 Q 1,846

$428 MX$7,508

-43.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,794 Q 44.2K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-44.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 Q 389

$57.3 MX$1,004

-10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 Q 402

$45.50 MX$798

15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 Q 841

$104 MX$1,825

5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Q 926

$108 MX$1,891

12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 Q 1,653

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-78.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 Q 3,101

$623 MX$10.9K

-34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 Q 2,887

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-82.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 Q 1,919

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-79.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.69

11.34

-32.19%

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

Last update for Quetzaltenango: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Quetzaltenango and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Quetzaltenango vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $292 per month, with Quetzaltenango 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

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

Quetzaltenango and Mexico City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,110 vs $1,456 including rent). Quetzaltenango is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,665 in Quetzaltenango and $2,185 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $217 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Quetzaltenango versus $428 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 Quetzaltenango – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,110 in Quetzaltenango versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quetzaltenango but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quetzaltenango 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 Quetzaltenango 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.