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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Side versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,642 in Side versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,208 in Side versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Side costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Side is 20% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 ₺350

$13.30 MX$231

-41.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 ₺1,047

$53.8 MX$932

-56.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 ₺278

$9.42 MX$163

-34.39%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₺119

$3.59 MX$62.3

-26.46%

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

$1.74 ₺78.0

$1.62 MX$28.13

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₺21.24

$1.12 MX$19.49

-58.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 ₺141

$3.25 MX$56.3

-3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₺184

$4.65 MX$80.6

-11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 ₺37.96

$1.64 MX$28.37

-48.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₺44.13

$2.65 MX$46.00

-63.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₺39.38

$1.96 MX$33.99

-55.10%

Eggs

$1.77 ₺79.5

$2.54 MX$44.08

-30.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.38 ₺377

$9.97 MX$173

-15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 ₺240

$8.39 MX$145

-36.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.31 ₺733

$11.83 MX$205

37.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 ₺45.32

$2.86 MX$49.62

-64.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ₺93.9

$1.73 MX$30.05

20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 ₺32.71

$1.99 MX$34.50

-63.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ₺49.76

$2.05 MX$35.51

-45.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 ₺24.97

$2.06 MX$35.64

-72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₺20.33

$2.28 MX$39.54

-80.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺56.9

$1.45 MX$25.05

-12.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₺15.30

$1.09 MX$18.83

-68.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ₺92.0

$4.27 MX$73.9

-51.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₺392

$14.67 MX$254

-40.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₺76.6

$1.76 MX$30.58

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ₺95.3

$3.57 MX$61.8

-40.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺28.09

$0.38 MX$6.67

65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.68 ₺1,379

$18.73 MX$325

63.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₺48.74

$1.39 MX$24.09

-22.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₺27.31

$0.30 MX$5.26

103.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 ₺344

$5.41 MX$93.8

41.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₺52.0

$1.34 MX$23.22

-13.43%

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

$40.1K ₺1.8M

$18.9K MX$326.7K

112.58%

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

$42.7K ₺1.9M

$23.2K MX$402.0K

83.87%

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

$48.43 ₺2,177

$40.30 MX$698

20.17%

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

$8.03 ₺361

$27.15 MX$471

-70.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.49 ₺292

$29.46 MX$510

-77.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.64 ₺1,917

$52.7 MX$914

-19.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 ₺291

$6.18 MX$107

4.69%

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

$619 ₺27.8K

$441 MX$7,637

40.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,974 ₺403.4K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-16.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 ₺3,379

$57.2 MX$992

31.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.66 ₺2,053

$45.04 MX$781

1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 ₺7,318

$103 MX$1,793

57.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₺5,025

$109 MX$1,884

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₺23.0K

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-48.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ₺17.8K

$632 MX$11.0K

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 ₺40.0K

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-58.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 ₺31.6K

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-43.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,382 ₺62.1K

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-63.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,010 ₺45.4K

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-57.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

76.37%

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

Last update for Side: April 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Side and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Side vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $286 per month, with Side 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

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

Side and Mexico City differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,076 vs $1,466 including rent). Side is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,614 in Side and $2,199 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: $513 in Side 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 Side runs roughly 64% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $619 in Side versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,076 in Side versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Side 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, Side 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 Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.