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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $423 in Rawalpindi versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $666 in Rawalpindi versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $909 in Rawalpindi versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Rawalpindi costs roughly 71% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rawalpindi is 68% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 PKR 497

$12.96 MX$223

-86.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.12 PKR 3,926

$52.3 MX$900

-73.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 PKR 1,495

$9.69 MX$167

-44.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 PKR 435

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 PKR 975

Cappuccino

$1.72 PKR 477

$3.75 MX$64.6

-54.13%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$1.56 MX$26.91

-78.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 64.0

$1.16 MX$19.93

-80.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 PKR 220

$1.70 MX$29.29

-53.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$2.67 MX$45.90

-79.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 346

$1.89 MX$32.49

-34.39%

Eggs

$1.17 PKR 326

$2.52 MX$43.37

-53.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.95 PKR 1,654

$10.02 MX$172

-40.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 PKR 939

$8.53 MX$147

-60.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.44 PKR 1,234

$11.94 MX$205

-62.81%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 PKR 261

$2.97 MX$51.1

-68.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 PKR 179

$1.79 MX$30.88

-64.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 240

$2.00 MX$34.40

-57.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 141

$1.96 MX$33.74

-73.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 101

$2.16 MX$37.21

-83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 PKR 135

$2.27 MX$39.04

-78.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 PKR 66.2

$1.40 MX$24.14

-82.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 PKR 101

$1.11 MX$19.18

-67.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.46 PKR 4,576

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 PKR 289

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 PKR 635

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 PKR 553

$4.20 MX$72.2

-52.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 47.86

$0.39 MX$6.65

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.93 PKR 2,762

$19.19 MX$330

-48.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 PKR 239

$1.38 MX$23.77

-37.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 PKR 99.0

$0.30 MX$5.19

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 PKR 821

$5.39 MX$92.7

-45.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 271

$1.29 MX$22.13

-24.03%

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

$17.6K PKR 4.9M

$18.9K MX$325.1K

-6.82%

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

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

$23.8K MX$409.5K

-2.85%

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

$100 PKR 27.9K

$39.86 MX$686

151.73%

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

$3.97 PKR 1,104

$27.83 MX$479

-85.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.55 PKR 4,601

$29.77 MX$512

-44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.13 PKR 2,816

$52.0 MX$894

-80.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 PKR 2,076

$26.22 MX$451

-71.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.63 PKR 1,010

$6.27 MX$108

-42.11%

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

$39.82 PKR 11.1K

$433 MX$7,443

-90.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$969 PKR 269.3K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

-90.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.62 PKR 3,229

$57.0 MX$981

-79.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.00 PKR 5,282

$45.33 MX$780

-58.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

$102 MX$1,753

-12.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.78 PKR 8,001

$109 MX$1,867

-73.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 PKR 36.9K

$994 MX$17.1K

-86.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.3 PKR 18.2K

$617 MX$10.6K

-89.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 PKR 91.0K

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-84.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 PKR 48.0K

$1,256 MX$21.6K

-86.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,142 PKR 317.4K

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-71.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$505 PKR 140.3K

$2,089 MX$35.9K

-75.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 PKR 47.7K

$1,131 MX$19.5K

-84.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.17

11.34

77.87%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: June 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Rawalpindi and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 559% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14.00 in Rawalpindi vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $93.0 vs $292 per month, with Rawalpindi 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

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

Rawalpindi and Mexico City differ by about 243% in total monthly costs ($423 vs $1,448 including rent). Rawalpindi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 559% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Rawalpindi versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rawalpindi runs roughly 93% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $39.82 in Rawalpindi versus $433 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $423 in Rawalpindi versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rawalpindi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.