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: $519 in Ragama versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $861 in Ragama versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,203 in Ragama versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Ragama costs roughly 65% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ragama is 61% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 LKR 1,363

$13.14 MX$229

-69.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.91 LKR 8,346

$53.5 MX$934

-53.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 LKR 2,850

$9.33 MX$163

-8.79%

Cappuccino

$2.63 LKR 880

$3.70 MX$64.5

-28.92%

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

$0.73 LKR 245

$1.60 MX$27.98

-54.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 LKR 126

$1.12 MX$19.49

-66.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 LKR 777

$3.14 MX$54.7

-26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 LKR 1,112

$4.85 MX$84.5

-31.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 528

$1.65 MX$28.84

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 LKR 189

$2.71 MX$47.34

-79.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 243

$1.91 MX$33.29

-61.78%

Eggs

$2.11 LKR 706

$2.59 MX$45.17

-18.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 LKR 4,765

$9.81 MX$171

44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 LKR 1,523

$8.43 MX$147

-46.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 LKR 2,747

$11.93 MX$208

-31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.41 LKR 2,482

$2.95 MX$51.5

151.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 LKR 376

$1.74 MX$30.35

-35.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 LKR 1,948

$2.04 MX$35.66

184.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 LKR 416

$2.06 MX$35.93

-39.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 LKR 388

$2.15 MX$37.49

-46.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 LKR 416

$2.26 MX$39.33

-45.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 LKR 386

$1.39 MX$24.17

-17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LKR 186

$1.12 MX$19.47

-50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 LKR 3,373

$4.22 MX$73.6

138.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 LKR 4,167

$17.51 MX$305

-28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 LKR 705

$1.71 MX$29.82

22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 999

$3.63 MX$63.4

-17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 LKR 129

$1.38 MX$24.00

-72.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 LKR 118

$0.28 MX$4.81

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 LKR 191

$5.28 MX$92.0

-89.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 LKR 423

$1.36 MX$23.69

-7.35%

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

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

37.46%

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

$34.2K LKR 11.4M

$23.6K MX$411.7K

44.68%

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

$59.4 LKR 19.9K

$40.53 MX$707

46.61%

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

$4.29 LKR 1,437

$27.38 MX$478

-84.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.96 LKR 5,013

$30.38 MX$530

-50.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 LKR 1,127

$6.19 MX$108

-45.72%

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

$37.47 LKR 12.6K

$425 MX$7,414

-91.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$445 LKR 149.1K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-95.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.07 LKR 9,070

$58.3 MX$1,017

-53.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.30 LKR 6,467

$44.57 MX$777

-56.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 LKR 23.3K

$103 MX$1,805

-32.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.20 LKR 13.1K

$109 MX$1,897

-63.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25.00 in Ragama vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $293 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 184% in total monthly costs ($519 vs $1,472 including rent). Ragama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $779 in Ragama and $2,208 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 $37.47 in Ragama 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 Ragama – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $519 in Ragama versus $1,472 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 184% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.