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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $382 in Skardu versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $573 in Skardu versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $765 in Skardu versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Skardu costs roughly 74% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Skardu is 71% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.75 PKR 488

$13.18 MX$231

-86.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.62 PKR 2,956

$53.9 MX$943

-80.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.11 PKR 1,144

$9.42 MX$165

-56.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 PKR 500

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 PKR 1,001

Cappuccino

$0.46 PKR 128

$3.55 MX$62.1

-87.04%

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

$0.35 PKR 96.2

$1.62 MX$28.30

-78.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 64.1

$1.11 MX$19.49

-79.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.0

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 PKR 202

$1.70 MX$29.77

-57.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 PKR 167

$2.72 MX$47.56

-77.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 338

$1.91 MX$33.45

-36.65%

Eggs

$1.12 PKR 312

$2.54 MX$44.37

-55.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 PKR 1,710

$10.03 MX$176

-38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.55 PKR 710

$8.09 MX$142

-68.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.63 PKR 1,011

$11.62 MX$203

-68.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 289

$2.97 MX$51.9

-64.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 PKR 183

$1.81 MX$31.61

-63.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 PKR 170

$2.01 MX$35.22

-69.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 PKR 136

$2.03 MX$35.60

-75.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 PKR 104

$2.12 MX$37.17

-82.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 131

$2.27 MX$39.71

-79.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 86.2

$1.40 MX$24.50

-77.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 PKR 100

$1.13 MX$19.78

-68.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 PKR 378

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 241

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 568

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.90 PKR 528

$4.27 MX$74.7

-55.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 54.3

$0.38 MX$6.70

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.91 PKR 1,923

$19.18 MX$336

-63.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.38 MX$24.07

-34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.28 MX$4.84

46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 PKR 486

$5.45 MX$95.3

-67.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 273

$1.30 MX$22.82

-24.62%

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

$21.2K PKR 5.9M

$18.7K MX$327.0K

13.63%

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

$22.8K PKR 6.4M

$23.1K MX$404.7K

-1.30%

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

$102 PKR 28.4K

$40.86 MX$715

149.85%

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

$7.18 PKR 1,999

$26.81 MX$469

-73.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.13 PKR 3,096

$29.96 MX$524

-62.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.57 PKR 3,498

$52.0 MX$910

-75.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.83 PKR 1,624

$26.84 MX$470

-78.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.61 PKR 1,006

$6.30 MX$110

-42.70%

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

$29.43 PKR 8,188

$436 MX$7,631

-93.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,094 PKR 304.5K

$10.4K MX$182.3K

-89.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 PKR 4,259

$56.7 MX$991

-72.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.03 PKR 6,131

$44.38 MX$777

-50.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 PKR 19.2K

$103 MX$1,801

-32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.47 PKR 8,200

$106 MX$1,846

-72.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.0 PKR 20.6K

$1,022 MX$17.9K

-92.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.2 PKR 14.5K

$631 MX$11.0K

-91.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.5K

$2,136 MX$37.4K

-92.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 PKR 30.0K

$1,243 MX$21.7K

-91.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$917 PKR 255.1K

$3,903 MX$68.3K

-76.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$567 PKR 157.9K

$2,064 MX$36.1K

-72.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

67.55%

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

Last update for Skardu: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $74.0 in Skardu and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Skardu vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $86.0 vs $288 per month, with Skardu 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

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

Skardu and Mexico City differ by about 284% in total monthly costs ($382 vs $1,467 including rent). Skardu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $573 in Skardu and $2,201 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: $74.0 in Skardu versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Skardu runs roughly 178% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $29.43 in Skardu versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $382 in Skardu versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skardu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Skardu 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, Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 284% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.