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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,385 in Rethymno versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,096 in Rethymno versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,807 in Rethymno versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Rethymno costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rethymno 0% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 €12.96

$12.14 MX$206

23.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.2

$53.9 MX$914

8.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 €9.16

$11.09 MX$188

-4.15%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.18

$4.10 MX$69.5

-10.00%

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

$1.71 €1.47

$1.68 MX$28.53

1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$1.39 MX$23.55

-60.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 €4.12

$3.33 MX$56.5

43.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.62

$5.88 MX$99.7

-8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.85 MX$31.41

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$3.17 MX$53.8

-53.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.07 MX$35.13

8.70%

Eggs

$4.59 €3.96

$2.93 MX$49.67

56.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 €13.14

$12.59 MX$214

21.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 €8.73

$10.11 MX$172

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 €13.41

$16.09 MX$273

-3.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 €1.80

$3.39 MX$57.5

-38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.08 MX$35.26

4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.12 MX$35.97

-40.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$2.41 MX$40.95

-24.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 €0.89

$2.13 MX$36.11

-51.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 €0.84

$2.01 MX$34.02

-51.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 €0.58

$1.55 MX$26.21

-56.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.63

$1.36 MX$23.15

-46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 €3.91

$5.77 MX$97.8

-21.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 €5.41

$17.74 MX$301

-64.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.07 MX$35.11

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.64

$4.61 MX$78.3

-58.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.37 MX$6.21

389.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.98

$2.05 MX$34.84

125.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.58 MX$9.79

101.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.55 €9.96

$6.07 MX$103

90.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.55 MX$26.34

46.45%

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

$23.0K €19.8K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

0.65%

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

$25.7K €22.1K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-5.71%

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

$163 €141

$67.4 MX$1,144

141.86%

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

$18.81 €16.21

$30.62 MX$520

-38.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.18 €27.74

$37.24 MX$632

-13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €56.0

$61.5 MX$1,043

5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 €7.29

$7.11 MX$121

18.99%

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

$382 €329

$456 MX$7,739

-16.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,244 €3,658

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-69.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 €74.9

$74.2 MX$1,259

17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.58 €9.98

$57.0 MX$967

-79.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.86 €39.53

$115 MX$1,958

-60.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.41 €40.00

$122 MX$2,061

-61.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 €496

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 €392

$709 MX$12.0K

-35.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €789

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 €625

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-43.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 €3,710

$4,005 MX$67.9K

7.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,106 €2,678

$2,130 MX$36.1K

45.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,073

$1,082 MX$18.4K

15.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

11.3

-61.95%

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

Last update for Rethymno: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Rethymno and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rethymno pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Rethymno vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $345, with Rethymno cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Rethymno and Mexico City differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,385 vs $1,677 including rent). Rethymno is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Rethymno, 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: $575 in Rethymno versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $382 in Rethymno 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 Rethymno – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,385 in Rethymno versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rethymno but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rethymno 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, Rethymno 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 Rethymno gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.