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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Secunda versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,685 in Secunda versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,253 in Secunda versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Secunda costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Secunda is 19% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 R 97.4

$12.11 MX$205

-49.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.27 R 500

$52.2 MX$883

-40.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 R 91.3

$10.90 MX$184

-47.61%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 37.79

$4.05 MX$68.5

-41.73%

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

$0.85 R 13.67

$1.72 MX$29.00

-50.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 R 8.35

$1.38 MX$23.29

-62.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 R 17.65

$3.47 MX$58.6

-68.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 21.67

$5.81 MX$98.2

-76.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.68

$1.85 MX$31.33

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 R 14.89

$3.22 MX$54.5

-71.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 29.94

$2.09 MX$35.25

-10.53%

Eggs

$2.61 R 41.74

$2.91 MX$49.18

-10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 R 132

$12.49 MX$211

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 R 81.5

$10.11 MX$171

-49.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.35 R 118

$15.89 MX$269

-53.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.11

$3.31 MX$56.0

-43.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.95

$2.13 MX$35.95

-21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.45

$2.19 MX$37.03

-15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.30

$2.45 MX$41.37

-27.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 20.82

$2.19 MX$37.00

-40.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 R 21.55

$1.90 MX$32.20

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 19.61

$1.62 MX$27.31

-24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.13

$1.35 MX$22.82

2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 R 54.3

$5.43 MX$91.7

-37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.33 R 85.3

$17.59 MX$297

-69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 R 25.23

$2.07 MX$34.96

-23.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R 31.68

$4.75 MX$80.2

-58.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 R 25.12

$0.34 MX$5.75

361.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.15

$2.04 MX$34.49

-84.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R 12.63

$0.58 MX$9.77

36.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 R 236

$5.97 MX$101

147.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 24.76

$1.62 MX$27.31

-4.32%

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

$37.3K R 596.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

63.37%

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

$34.7K R 555.1K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

30.17%

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

$154 R 2,458

$65.2 MX$1,103

135.62%

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

$38.13 R 610

$29.87 MX$505

27.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.26 R 612

$36.55 MX$618

4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 R 524

$61.0 MX$1,031

-46.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.51 R 200

$26.70 MX$451

-53.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 R 120

$6.85 MX$116

9.64%

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

$94.0 R 1,503

$453 MX$7,664

-79.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,642 R 90.2K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-57.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 R 864

$75.0 MX$1,267

-27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.79 R 524

$55.3 MX$935

-40.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 R 1,497

$114 MX$1,920

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 R 1,381

$123 MX$2,073

-29.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 R 6,525

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-64.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 R 6,138

$712 MX$12.0K

-46.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 R 12.2K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-70.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 R 12.2K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$890 R 14.2K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-77.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$657 R 10.5K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-68.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,521 R 24.3K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

45.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.3

0.35%

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

Last update for Secunda: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Secunda and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Secunda vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $345 per month, with Secunda 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

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

Secunda and Mexico City differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,117 vs $1,646 including rent). Secunda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Secunda, 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: $408 in Secunda versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $94.0 in Secunda versus $453 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 Secunda – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,117 in Secunda versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Secunda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Secunda 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 Secunda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.