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: $534 in Ragama versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $867 in Ragama versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,201 in Ragama versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Ragama costs roughly 63% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ragama is 60% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 LKR 1,369

$12.98 MX$227

-68.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.46 LKR 8,582

$52.6 MX$918

-51.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 LKR 2,790

$9.43 MX$165

-12.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 LKR 929

$3.57 MX$62.3

-22.69%

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

$0.73 LKR 247

$1.61 MX$28.02

-54.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 LKR 128

$1.15 MX$20.14

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 LKR 802

$3.15 MX$55.0

-24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 LKR 1,161

$4.86 MX$84.8

-29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 551

$1.70 MX$29.66

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 178

$2.64 MX$45.99

-79.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 LKR 254

$1.90 MX$33.22

-60.53%

Eggs

$2.13 LKR 717

$2.54 MX$44.35

-16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 LKR 4,720

$10.08 MX$176

38.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 LKR 1,550

$8.29 MX$145

-44.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 LKR 2,662

$11.57 MX$202

-31.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,504

$3.03 MX$52.8

145.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 LKR 372

$1.71 MX$29.85

-35.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.62 LKR 1,894

$2.05 MX$35.76

174.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 421

$2.06 MX$35.95

-39.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 392

$2.06 MX$36.03

-43.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 LKR 400

$2.17 MX$37.87

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 LKR 404

$1.40 MX$24.49

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 LKR 201

$1.12 MX$19.58

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 LKR 3,403

$4.29 MX$74.9

135.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 LKR 4,240

$15.41 MX$269

-18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 LKR 682

$1.67 MX$29.23

20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LKR 992

$3.69 MX$64.3

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 138

$1.38 MX$24.10

-70.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 109

$0.28 MX$4.82

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.56 LKR 189

$5.42 MX$94.5

-89.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 407

$1.28 MX$22.35

-5.47%

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

$26.6K LKR 9.0M

$19.0K MX$331.3K

40.06%

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

$34.9K LKR 11.8M

$23.5K MX$409.5K

48.64%

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

$60.7 LKR 20.4K

$41.02 MX$716

47.88%

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

$4.27 LKR 1,438

$26.92 MX$470

-84.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.07 LKR 5,079

$29.69 MX$518

-49.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 LKR 1,138

$6.18 MX$108

-45.31%

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

$36.60 LKR 12.3K

$427 MX$7,454

-91.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$444 LKR 149.7K

$10.7K MX$186.7K

-95.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.18 LKR 9,159

$56.8 MX$992

-52.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.47 LKR 6,561

$44.83 MX$782

-56.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 LKR 23.4K

$105 MX$1,824

-33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.05 LKR 12.8K

$106 MX$1,849

-64.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.45

11.34

45.06%

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

Last update for Ragama: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Ragama vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $288 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 171% in total monthly costs ($534 vs $1,447 including rent). Ragama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $800 in Ragama and $2,171 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 $36.60 in Ragama versus $427 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 $25.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $534 in Ragama versus $1,447 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 171% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.