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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,508 in Riehen versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,218 in Riehen versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,928 in Riehen versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Riehen is roughly 109% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Riehen 156% above, Mexico City 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.28 CHF 25.01

$11.83 MX$200

164.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 99.5

$52.2 MX$884

138.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.26 CHF 13.00

$10.87 MX$184

49.59%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 4.92

$4.03 MX$68.2

52.85%

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

$4.98 CHF 3.98

$1.71 MX$28.99

191.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 CHF 4.25

$1.34 MX$22.70

297.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 CHF 6.06

$3.39 MX$57.5

123.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 CHF 5.55

$5.74 MX$97.3

20.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.75

$1.89 MX$31.99

15.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CHF 2.58

$3.17 MX$53.8

1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 CHF 2.88

$2.05 MX$34.74

76.10%

Eggs

$7.45 CHF 5.96

$3.01 MX$51.1

147.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.25 CHF 20.19

$12.61 MX$214

100.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.49 CHF 20.38

$9.94 MX$169

156.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.26 CHF 30.59

$16.00 MX$271

139.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.83

$3.28 MX$55.6

7.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 CHF 1.39

$2.06 MX$34.87

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.02

$2.09 MX$35.36

21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.67

$2.50 MX$42.44

83.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 CHF 1.46

$2.05 MX$34.76

-11.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.65

$1.87 MX$31.70

10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$1.57 MX$26.66

42.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 0.99

$1.39 MX$23.64

-10.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 8.80

$5.38 MX$91.2

104.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 CHF 8.43

$17.95 MX$304

-41.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 CHF 2.80

$2.02 MX$34.31

73.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 CHF 1.93

$4.76 MX$80.7

-49.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 CHF 3.44

$0.36 MX$6.13

1097.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CHF 81.3

$20.80 MX$353

388.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 CHF 8.14

$2.06 MX$34.92

394.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.28

$0.56 MX$9.55

632.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.6 CHF 59.6

$5.82 MX$98.6

1181.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.74

$1.54 MX$26.05

41.56%

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

$43.9K CHF 35.1K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

95.33%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.5K

$26.5K MX$448.7K

53.62%

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

$341 CHF 272

$66.0 MX$1,118

416.42%

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

$42.09 CHF 33.65

$30.98 MX$525

35.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 CHF 46.90

$36.20 MX$613

62.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.9 CHF 77.5

$57.5 MX$975

68.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.17 CHF 37.71

$26.75 MX$453

76.34%

Cinema Ticket

$21.20 CHF 16.95

$7.13 MX$121

197.34%

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

$1,866 CHF 1,492

$457 MX$7,738

308.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K CHF 30.1K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

183.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 CHF 82.2

$75.8 MX$1,285

35.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 CHF 47.74

$54.1 MX$917

10.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 134

$116 MX$1,974

43.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 151

$122 MX$2,063

54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 CHF 1,389

$1,147 MX$19.4K

51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 CHF 1,169

$726 MX$12.3K

101.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,505 CHF 2,802

$2,503 MX$42.4K

40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 CHF 1,989

$1,331 MX$22.6K

86.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.2K

$3,895 MX$66.0K

323.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,685

$2,149 MX$36.4K

463.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,583 CHF 6,863

$1,069 MX$18.1K

702.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

11.35

-79.65%

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

Last update for Riehen: August 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,737 in Riehen and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 703% 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: $124 in Riehen vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $554 vs $344 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Riehen and Mexico City differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($3,508 vs $1,682 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 703% higher in Riehen, 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: $1,737 in Riehen versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 389% less than in Riehen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,866 in Riehen versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $3,508 in Riehen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Riehen. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Riehen 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.