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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,569 in Singapore versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,229 in Singapore versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,889 in Singapore versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Singapore is roughly 140% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 165% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 SGD 13.62

$13.29 MX$231

-19.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 SGD 99.7

$53.8 MX$933

45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 SGD 9.82

$9.29 MX$161

-16.79%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SGD 6.43

$3.61 MX$62.6

40.17%

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

$1.71 SGD 2.17

$1.56 MX$27.03

9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.56

$1.12 MX$19.46

9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 SGD 10.02

$3.13 MX$54.3

152.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 SGD 11.78

$4.71 MX$81.7

96.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 SGD 3.91

$1.70 MX$29.54

81.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 SGD 2.93

$2.77 MX$48.03

-16.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 SGD 3.58

$1.96 MX$34.05

43.88%

Eggs

$3.30 SGD 4.19

$2.60 MX$45.21

26.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.14 SGD 24.31

$9.94 MX$173

92.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 SGD 14.31

$8.10 MX$141

39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.31 SGD 28.33

$11.50 MX$200

94.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 SGD 5.76

$2.87 MX$49.84

57.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 SGD 3.66

$1.73 MX$30.07

66.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 SGD 6.15

$2.00 MX$34.73

142.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 SGD 3.49

$2.04 MX$35.38

34.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 SGD 3.08

$2.08 MX$36.14

16.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.84

$2.20 MX$38.12

1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SGD 2.61

$1.45 MX$25.24

42.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SGD 1.99

$1.07 MX$18.63

46.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.11 SGD 16.65

$4.27 MX$74.2

207.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.36 SGD 32.21

$14.32 MX$249

77.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 SGD 5.36

$1.76 MX$30.62

139.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 SGD 6.40

$3.70 MX$64.2

36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 SGD 2.04

$0.35 MX$6.12

357.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 SGD 119

$19.19 MX$333

386.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 SGD 4.65

$1.34 MX$23.18

173.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.96

$0.28 MX$4.83

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.49

$5.33 MX$92.6

202.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 SGD 2.76

$1.34 MX$23.27

62.69%

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

$140.6K SGD 178.6K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

635.45%

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

$129.5K SGD 164.5K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

442.37%

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

$159 SGD 202

$39.86 MX$692

298.34%

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

$18.22 SGD 23.13

$26.78 MX$465

-31.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.77 SGD 47.97

$29.36 MX$510

28.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 SGD 153

$53.4 MX$927

124.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 SGD 15.32

$26.09 MX$453

-53.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 SGD 14.96

$6.40 MX$111

84.06%

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

$1,206 SGD 1,531

$440 MX$7,647

173.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K SGD 37.5K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

174.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 SGD 103

$57.6 MX$1,000

41.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.54 SGD 55.3

$45.02 MX$781

-3.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SGD 134

$104 MX$1,801

1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SGD 167

$108 MX$1,874

21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 SGD 4,050

$1,013 MX$17.6K

214.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 SGD 2,906

$630 MX$10.9K

263.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,085 SGD 7,728

$2,162 MX$37.5K

181.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,740 SGD 4,750

$1,222 MX$21.2K

206.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.4K SGD 29.7K

$3,793 MX$65.8K

516.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K SGD 21.0K

$2,332 MX$40.5K

607.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,293 SGD 5,452

$1,075 MX$18.7K

299.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

11.34

-71.87%

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

Last update for Singapore: April 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,189 in Singapore and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 299% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78 in Singapore vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $285 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

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

Singapore and Mexico City differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($3,569 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Singapore pays 299% 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: $3,189 in Singapore versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 387% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,206 in Singapore versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $3,569 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Singapore 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.