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 $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,482 in Quilmes versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,075 in Quilmes versus $3,245 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 33% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 ARS 13.1K

$13.14 MX$229

-33.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.08 ARS 45.0K

$53.5 MX$934

-43.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 ARS 13.4K

$9.33 MX$163

-4.18%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ARS 2,566

$3.70 MX$64.5

-53.51%

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

$1.31 ARS 1,960

$1.60 MX$27.98

-18.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ARS 1,704

$1.12 MX$19.49

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ARS 1,786

$3.14 MX$54.7

-62.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ARS 4,063

$4.85 MX$84.5

-43.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,903

$1.65 MX$28.84

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ARS 2,388

$2.71 MX$47.34

-40.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ARS 2,684

$1.91 MX$33.29

-5.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ARS 3,362

$2.59 MX$45.17

-13.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 ARS 19.9K

$9.81 MX$171

35.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ARS 9,089

$8.43 MX$147

-27.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ARS 15.5K

$11.93 MX$208

-13.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,838

$2.95 MX$51.5

-35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ARS 3,214

$1.74 MX$30.35

23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ARS 1,497

$2.04 MX$35.66

-50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ARS 3,882

$2.06 MX$35.93

26.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ARS 1,688

$2.15 MX$37.49

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ARS 2,046

$2.26 MX$39.33

-39.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ARS 1,293

$1.39 MX$24.17

-38.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ARS 2,743

$1.12 MX$19.47

63.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ARS 5,234

$4.22 MX$73.6

-17.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.27 ARS 6,377

$17.51 MX$305

-75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ARS 1,919

$1.71 MX$29.82

-25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ARS 4,684

$3.63 MX$63.4

-13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 ARS 1,177

$0.35 MX$6.15

125.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ARS 3,695

$1.38 MX$24.00

78.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,383

$0.28 MX$4.81

228.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 ARS 9,220

$5.28 MX$92.0

16.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,595

$1.36 MX$23.69

-21.32%

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

$24.4K ARS 36.5M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

27.72%

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

$25.6K ARS 38.3M

$23.6K MX$411.7K

8.42%

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

$56.3 ARS 84.1K

$40.53 MX$707

38.84%

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

$18.53 ARS 27.7K

$27.38 MX$478

-32.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.83 ARS 22.2K

$30.38 MX$530

-51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.27 ARS 39.3K

$52.2 MX$911

-49.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.51 ARS 20.2K

$26.48 MX$462

-48.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 ARS 7,627

$6.19 MX$108

-17.61%

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

$219 ARS 326.9K

$425 MX$7,414

-48.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,087 ARS 1.6M

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-89.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 ARS 92.1K

$58.3 MX$1,017

5.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ARS 91.2K

$44.57 MX$777

36.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ARS 160.6K

$103 MX$1,805

3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 ARS 142.8K

$109 MX$1,897

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ARS 502.1K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ARS 348.8K

$623 MX$10.9K

-62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 ARS 1.0M

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-68.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ARS 812.2K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-55.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,390 ARS 3.6M

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-36.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,755 ARS 2.6M

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-16.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,109 ARS 1.7M

$1,052 MX$18.4K

5.41%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Quilmes and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 5% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $293 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 66% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,472 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Quilmes, 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: $336 in Quilmes versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Quilmes versus $425 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Quilmes versus $1,472 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 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.