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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,098 in Shiso versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,967 in Shiso versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,836 in Shiso versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Shiso costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shiso is 18% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 ¥1,304

$13.07 MX$228

-38.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 ¥10.9K

$53.8 MX$936

25.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 ¥1,018

$9.68 MX$169

-35.23%

Cappuccino

$3.61 ¥587

$3.74 MX$65.1

-3.48%

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

$0.90 ¥146

$1.62 MX$28.13

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥117

$1.16 MX$20.23

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ¥429

$3.23 MX$56.2

-18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥512

$4.74 MX$82.5

-33.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥246

$1.65 MX$28.68

-7.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 ¥482

$2.75 MX$47.95

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 ¥792

$1.87 MX$32.63

160.43%

Eggs

$2.30 ¥374

$2.50 MX$43.54

-8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 ¥1,623

$10.20 MX$178

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 ¥1,023

$8.25 MX$144

-23.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.58 ¥4,319

$11.82 MX$206

124.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥866

$3.01 MX$52.4

77.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ¥414

$1.81 MX$31.54

40.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 ¥665

$2.00 MX$34.81

104.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ¥953

$2.00 MX$34.74

193.50%

Potato (1kg)

$4.44 ¥721

$2.08 MX$36.30

113.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 ¥424

$2.27 MX$39.56

14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥215

$1.46 MX$25.36

-9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥135

$1.08 MX$18.74

-23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ¥667

$4.35 MX$75.7

-5.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ¥1,176

$16.99 MX$296

-57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥311

$1.73 MX$30.18

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥350

$3.58 MX$62.3

-39.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ¥211

$0.39 MX$6.74

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.01 ¥5,363

$18.69 MX$325

76.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 ¥573

$1.33 MX$23.08

165.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥469

$0.28 MX$4.87

928.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.97 ¥3,406

$5.25 MX$91.5

299.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥208

$1.34 MX$23.27

-4.48%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

21.20%

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

$17.1K ¥2.8M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-28.38%

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

$146 ¥23.6K

$40.69 MX$709

257.58%

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

$65.6 ¥10.7K

$26.87 MX$468

144.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.40 ¥2,177

$30.51 MX$531

-56.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 ¥6,065

$52.8 MX$919

-29.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.76 ¥2,235

$26.65 MX$464

-48.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 ¥751

$6.51 MX$113

-29.03%

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

$279 ¥45.3K

$428 MX$7,454

-34.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥2.2M

$10.5K MX$182.8K

27.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.05 ¥1,633

$57.3 MX$997

-82.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.71 ¥4,827

$45.50 MX$792

-34.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.25 ¥5,403

$104 MX$1,812

-68.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.6K

$108 MX$1,878

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 ¥76.8K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥26.9K

$623 MX$10.8K

-73.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$883 ¥143.5K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 ¥108.8K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-45.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,185 ¥680.0K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

7.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 ¥337.1K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

2.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

11.34

-84.30%

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

Last update for Shiso: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Shiso and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Shiso vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $292 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

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

Shiso and Mexico City differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,098 vs $1,456 including rent). Shiso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,647 in Shiso and $2,185 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $473 in Shiso versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shiso runs roughly 77% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $279 in Shiso versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,098 in Shiso versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiso but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shiso 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, Shiso 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 Shiso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.