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: $1,307 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,906 in Roquetas de Mar versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in Roquetas de Mar versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Roquetas de Mar costs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roquetas de Mar is 3% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 €10.14

$12.98 MX$223

-9.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €48.89

$52.6 MX$903

7.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 €9.93

$9.43 MX$162

22.27%

Cappuccino

$1.64 €1.41

$3.57 MX$61.3

-54.06%

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

$3.06 €2.64

$1.61 MX$27.55

90.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.15 MX$19.81

47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 €2.42

$3.15 MX$54.0

-10.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.47

$4.86 MX$83.4

-41.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.70 MX$29.17

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.64 MX$45.23

-43.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.90 MX$32.67

-38.42%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.02

$2.54 MX$43.62

38.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 €8.06

$10.08 MX$173

-7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 €6.75

$8.29 MX$142

-5.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 €14.94

$11.57 MX$199

49.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.03 MX$52.0

-33.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.71 MX$29.35

-1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 €0.96

$2.05 MX$35.16

-45.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.06 MX$35.36

-22.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.06 MX$35.43

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.17 MX$37.25

-44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 €0.52

$1.40 MX$24.08

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.54

$1.12 MX$19.26

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.70

$4.29 MX$73.7

54.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$15.41 MX$265

-78.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.22

$1.67 MX$28.74

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.69 MX$63.3

-41.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 €0.35

$0.38 MX$6.55

7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.71

$19.06 MX$327

80.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 €3.08

$1.38 MX$23.70

158.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.28 MX$4.74

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.96 €12.03

$5.42 MX$92.9

157.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.28 MX$21.98

39.84%

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

$38.6K €33.3K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

103.47%

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

$29.5K €25.4K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

25.88%

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

$121 €104

$41.02 MX$704

194.66%

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

$5.71 €4.92

$26.92 MX$462

-78.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.80 €19.64

$29.69 MX$510

-23.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.30 €31.28

$52.3 MX$898

-30.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 €12.73

$26.23 MX$450

-43.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 €8.02

$6.18 MX$106

50.65%

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

$458 €395

$427 MX$7,331

7.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,428

$10.7K MX$183.6K

2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €74.0

$56.8 MX$975

51.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 €45.73

$44.83 MX$769

18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 €49.83

$105 MX$1,794

-44.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €94.8

$106 MX$1,819

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 €508

$995 MX$17.1K

-40.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 €456

$621 MX$10.7K

-14.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 €699

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-61.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 €541

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-49.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,418 €2,945

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-12.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 €1,903

$2,096 MX$36.0K

5.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,313 €1,132

$1,107 MX$19.0K

18.61%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Roquetas de Mar and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roquetas de Mar pays 19% 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 $236 vs $288, 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,307 vs $1,447 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 19% 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: $590 in Roquetas de Mar versus $995 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 81% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $458 in Roquetas de Mar versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,307 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,447 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.