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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Quilmes versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Quilmes versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,087 in Quilmes versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Quilmes costs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quilmes is 34% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 ARS 12.6K

$12.98 MX$226

-31.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.28 ARS 42.6K

$53.1 MX$923

-42.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ARS 12.9K

$9.72 MX$169

-5.97%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ARS 2,399

$3.75 MX$65.2

-54.67%

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

$1.27 ARS 1,791

$1.57 MX$27.30

-19.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ARS 1,657

$1.13 MX$19.64

4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ARS 1,763

$3.18 MX$55.3

-60.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ARS 3,809

$4.66 MX$81.1

-42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ARS 1,779

$1.62 MX$28.21

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ARS 2,236

$2.71 MX$47.09

-41.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ARS 2,580

$1.88 MX$32.70

-2.66%

Eggs

$2.15 ARS 3,027

$2.51 MX$43.65

-14.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 ARS 18.3K

$10.08 MX$175

28.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 ARS 8,459

$8.29 MX$144

-27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ARS 14.5K

$11.94 MX$208

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ARS 2,571

$2.86 MX$49.77

-36.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ARS 3,082

$1.75 MX$30.45

25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ARS 1,390

$2.08 MX$36.27

-52.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 ARS 3,715

$1.97 MX$34.27

34.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ARS 1,599

$2.16 MX$37.58

-47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 1,956

$2.18 MX$37.94

-36.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ARS 1,223

$1.39 MX$24.20

-37.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ARS 2,638

$1.12 MX$19.57

66.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ARS 4,671

$4.20 MX$73.1

-20.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.12 ARS 7,206

$14.25 MX$248

-64.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ARS 1,836

$1.76 MX$30.68

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,252

$3.68 MX$64.1

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ARS 1,165

$0.39 MX$6.71

112.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 ARS 3,589

$1.39 MX$24.12

83.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,297

$0.30 MX$5.29

206.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 ARS 8,254

$5.42 MX$94.3

8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ARS 1,496

$1.35 MX$23.50

-21.48%

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

$24.1K ARS 34.0M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

27.80%

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

$26.3K ARS 37.0M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

13.59%

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

$56.0 ARS 78.8K

$40.82 MX$710

37.16%

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

$18.84 ARS 26.5K

$27.50 MX$479

-31.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.86 ARS 20.9K

$30.38 MX$529

-51.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.35 ARS 37.1K

$53.4 MX$930

-50.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.75 ARS 19.4K

$26.30 MX$458

-47.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ARS 6,983

$6.27 MX$109

-20.89%

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

$221 ARS 310.7K

$436 MX$7,588

-49.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,096 ARS 1.5M

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-89.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 ARS 86.1K

$56.8 MX$988

7.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 ARS 82.9K

$44.79 MX$779

31.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 ARS 154.1K

$103 MX$1,789

6.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ARS 134.7K

$108 MX$1,878

-11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 ARS 484.6K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-65.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ARS 333.3K

$620 MX$10.8K

-61.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 ARS 959.5K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ARS 762.3K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-56.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,314 ARS 3.3M

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-40.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-24.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,106 ARS 1.6M

$1,067 MX$18.6K

3.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

11.34

781.83%

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

Last update for Quilmes: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $344 in Quilmes and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Quilmes vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $286 per month, with Quilmes 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

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

Quilmes and Mexico City differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,484 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Quilmes pays 4% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $344 in Quilmes versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in Quilmes 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 Quilmes – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Quilmes versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes 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, Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.