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: $932 in Quilmes versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Quilmes versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Quilmes versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Quilmes costs roughly 44% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quilmes is 32% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ARS 8,412

$12.14 MX$206

-54.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.58 ARS 53.7K

$53.9 MX$914

-33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 ARS 13.9K

$11.09 MX$188

-17.04%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ARS 4,401

$4.10 MX$69.5

-28.78%

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

$1.70 ARS 2,565

$1.68 MX$28.53

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ARS 2,487

$1.39 MX$23.55

18.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 ARS 6,019

$3.33 MX$56.5

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ARS 3,414

$5.88 MX$99.7

-61.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$1.85 MX$31.41

-44.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ARS 2,391

$3.17 MX$53.8

-50.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ARS 2,509

$2.07 MX$35.13

-19.81%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,558

$2.93 MX$49.67

-19.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 ARS 19.8K

$12.59 MX$214

4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ARS 9,184

$10.11 MX$172

-39.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 ARS 15.0K

$16.09 MX$273

-38.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,861

$3.39 MX$57.5

-43.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,270

$2.08 MX$35.26

-27.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,537

$2.12 MX$35.97

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ARS 3,201

$2.41 MX$40.95

-12.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ARS 1,378

$2.13 MX$36.11

-57.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ARS 947

$2.01 MX$34.02

-68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ARS 1,073

$1.55 MX$26.21

-54.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ARS 1,020

$1.36 MX$23.15

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ARS 7,507

$5.77 MX$97.8

-13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 ARS 6,533

$17.74 MX$301

-75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ARS 1,859

$2.07 MX$35.11

-40.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ARS 2,873

$4.61 MX$78.3

-58.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,477

$0.37 MX$6.21

164.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,364

$2.05 MX$34.84

-23.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$0.58 MX$9.79

68.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 ARS 11.1K

$6.07 MX$103

20.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,708

$1.55 MX$26.34

-27.10%

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

$51.0K ARS 76.9M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

122.95%

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

$39.1K ARS 58.9M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

43.49%

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

$59.3 ARS 89.4K

$67.4 MX$1,144

-12.08%

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

$14.44 ARS 21.8K

$30.62 MX$520

-52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.74 ARS 32.8K

$37.24 MX$632

-41.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 ARS 45.7K

$61.5 MX$1,043

-50.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 ARS 15.3K

$7.11 MX$121

43.04%

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

$299 ARS 451.7K

$456 MX$7,739

-34.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 ARS 6.4M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-69.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 ARS 145.5K

$74.2 MX$1,259

29.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.43 ARS 53.4K

$57.0 MX$967

-37.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ARS 97.2K

$115 MX$1,958

-44.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ARS 107.5K

$122 MX$2,061

-41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ARS 718.6K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-58.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ARS 472.8K

$709 MX$12.0K

-55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 ARS 1.5M

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-62.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ARS 1.2M

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-40.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 ARS 3.6M

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-40.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 ARS 2.7M

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 ARS 1.6M

$1,082 MX$18.4K

0.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

11.3

400.53%

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

Last update for Quilmes: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Quilmes and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Quilmes vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $345 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 80% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $1,677 including rent). Quilmes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $476 in Quilmes versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Quilmes versus $456 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 $36.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Quilmes versus $1,677 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 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.