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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $515 in Ragama versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $835 in Ragama versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,154 in Ragama versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Ragama costs roughly 69% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ragama is 63% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 LKR 1,448

$12.14 MX$206

-63.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.20 LKR 8,610

$53.9 MX$914

-51.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 LKR 2,509

$11.09 MX$188

-31.11%

Cappuccino

$2.54 LKR 834

$4.10 MX$69.5

-38.05%

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

$0.69 LKR 226

$1.68 MX$28.53

-58.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 LKR 88.7

$1.39 MX$23.55

-80.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 LKR 740

$3.33 MX$56.5

-32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 LKR 1,026

$5.88 MX$99.7

-46.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 LKR 468

$1.85 MX$31.41

-22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 LKR 166

$3.17 MX$53.8

-83.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 LKR 226

$2.07 MX$35.13

-66.67%

Eggs

$1.66 LKR 546

$2.93 MX$49.67

-43.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 LKR 4,324

$12.59 MX$214

4.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 LKR 1,622

$10.11 MX$172

-51.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 LKR 2,376

$16.09 MX$273

-55.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 LKR 2,206

$3.39 MX$57.5

97.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 LKR 294

$2.08 MX$35.26

-57.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 LKR 1,420

$2.12 MX$35.97

103.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 LKR 408

$2.41 MX$40.95

-48.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 343

$2.13 MX$36.11

-51.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 LKR 262

$2.01 MX$34.02

-60.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 LKR 290

$1.55 MX$26.21

-43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 151

$1.36 MX$23.15

-66.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.46 LKR 3,435

$5.77 MX$97.8

81.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 LKR 4,457

$17.74 MX$301

-23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 LKR 656

$2.07 MX$35.11

-3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 LKR 909

$4.61 MX$78.3

-39.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 LKR 128

$2.05 MX$34.84

-80.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 LKR 127

$0.58 MX$9.79

-32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 LKR 303

$6.07 MX$103

-84.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 LKR 443

$1.55 MX$26.34

-12.90%

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

$30.0K LKR 9.8M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

31.00%

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

$41.7K LKR 13.7M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

52.96%

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

$54.4 LKR 17.9K

$67.4 MX$1,144

-19.36%

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

$4.16 LKR 1,366

$30.62 MX$520

-86.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.62 LKR 6,776

$37.24 MX$632

-44.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 LKR 1,477

$7.11 MX$121

-36.85%

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

$38.72 LKR 12.7K

$456 MX$7,739

-91.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,242 LKR 408.2K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-90.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.02 LKR 6,577

$74.2 MX$1,259

-73.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.51 LKR 5,424

$57.0 MX$967

-71.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 LKR 26.1K

$115 MX$1,958

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.71 LKR 13.7K

$122 MX$2,061

-65.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

11.3

12.30%

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

Last update for Ragama: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $26.00 in Ragama vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $345 per month, with Ragama 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

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

Ragama and Mexico City differ by about 225% in total monthly costs ($515 vs $1,677 including rent). Ragama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $773 in Ragama and $2,515 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.

Childcare runs $38.72 in Ragama 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 Ragama – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $515 in Ragama versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ragama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ragama 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 Ragama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 225% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.