Cost of Living Comparison Between Roquetas de Mar and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Roquetas de Mar and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,310 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,895 in Roquetas de Mar versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,480 in Roquetas de Mar versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Roquetas de Mar costs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roquetas de Mar is 2% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.70 €10.02

$12.98 MX$227

-9.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €48.95

$53.1 MX$929

7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 €10.10

$9.72 MX$170

21.40%

Cappuccino

$1.57 €1.35

$3.75 MX$65.6

-58.13%

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

$2.98 €2.55

$1.57 MX$27.46

89.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.13 MX$19.76

50.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 €2.52

$3.18 MX$55.7

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.43

$4.66 MX$81.6

-39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.10

$1.62 MX$28.37

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.71 MX$47.36

-44.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €0.97

$1.88 MX$32.89

-39.36%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.00

$2.51 MX$43.90

39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 €8.08

$10.08 MX$176

-6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 €6.66

$8.29 MX$145

-6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.66 €15.12

$11.94 MX$209

47.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.86 MX$50.1

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.75 MX$30.62

0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.08 MX$36.48

-48.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.97 MX$34.46

-18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.16 MX$37.79

9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.18 MX$38.16

-44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 €0.49

$1.39 MX$24.34

-58.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$1.12 MX$19.69

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 €5.64

$4.20 MX$73.5

56.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 €4.36

$14.25 MX$249

-64.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.76 MX$30.85

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.94

$3.68 MX$64.5

-38.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 €0.35

$0.39 MX$6.74

2.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.64 €29.65

$18.66 MX$327

85.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €2.93

$1.39 MX$24.26

146.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.05

$0.30 MX$5.32

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.76 €11.78

$5.42 MX$94.9

153.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.35 MX$23.63

31.85%

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

$38.9K €33.3K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

106.17%

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

$29.7K €25.4K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

28.26%

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

$118 €101

$40.82 MX$714

188.07%

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

$5.85 €5.01

$27.50 MX$481

-78.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.18 €19.85

$30.38 MX$532

-23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.60 €32.18

$53.4 MX$935

-29.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.95 €12.79

$26.30 MX$460

-43.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €7.89

$6.27 MX$110

47.05%

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

$456 €391

$436 MX$7,632

4.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,624

$10.5K MX$183.2K

7.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 €75.8

$56.8 MX$993

55.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 €46.78

$44.79 MX$784

22.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 €49.93

$103 MX$1,799

-43.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €93.8

$108 MX$1,888

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 €502

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 €440

$620 MX$10.9K

-17.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 €705

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-61.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 €530

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-49.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,077 €1,778

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-46.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,691 €1,447

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,331 €1,140

$1,067 MX$18.7K

24.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

11.34

-65.61%

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

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Roquetas de Mar and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roquetas de Mar pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Roquetas de Mar vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $286, with Roquetas de Mar 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

Roquetas de Mar vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roquetas de Mar and Mexico City differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,310 vs $1,484 including rent). Roquetas de Mar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Roquetas de Mar pays 25% more on average, 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: $586 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Roquetas de Mar runs roughly 86% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Roquetas de Mar versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,310 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roquetas de Mar but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roquetas de Mar 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, Roquetas de Mar 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 Roquetas de Mar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.