Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Mexico Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Spain versus $1,121 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,400 in Spain versus $1,787 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $2,453 in Mexico.

Living in Spain is roughly 47% more expensive than Mexico on average.

Spain (23% above) and Mexico (16% below) straddle the global median.

Spain ($1,115–$3,300) and Mexico ($692–$2,378) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 €13.70

$10.68 MX$187

49.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.5

$42.85 MX$750

37.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 €8.79

$7.97 MX$139

28.73%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.96

$3.24 MX$56.7

-29.32%

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

$2.59 €2.22

$1.29 MX$22.56

100.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.55

$0.98 MX$17.16

84.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.02

$2.43 MX$42.44

45.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.44

$4.16 MX$72.7

-3.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.50 MX$26.33

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.63 MX$46.06

-42.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.76 MX$30.86

-9.09%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.55

$2.37 MX$41.44

25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 €12.41

$8.40 MX$147

72.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 €7.16

$7.77 MX$136

7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.65

$10.84 MX$190

47.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.72 MX$47.52

-6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.49 MX$26.16

40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.84 MX$32.21

11.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.26

$1.86 MX$32.62

41.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.00 MX$35.04

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.97 MX$34.42

-3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.25 MX$21.93

6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.68

$1.06 MX$18.54

-24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.50

$4.20 MX$73.4

53.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €4.99

$11.54 MX$202

-49.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.65 MX$28.90

-24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.81

$3.03 MX$53.0

-30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.61 MX$10.61

178.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.64 €29.65

$26.13 MX$457

32.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.94

$2.58 MX$45.22

78.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 €1.15

$1.90 MX$33.17

-28.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.00 €23.11

$10.69 MX$187

152.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.32 MX$23.13

39.39%

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

$38.3K €32.8K

$20.1K MX$352.5K

90.07%

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

$31.2K €26.7K

$23.3K MX$408.4K

33.76%

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

$151 €129

$63.2 MX$1,106

138.96%

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

$20.30 €17.38

$23.53 MX$412

-13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €28.43

$28.32 MX$496

17.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 €40.56

$35.34 MX$618

34.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 €13.47

$18.15 MX$318

-13.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$4.84 MX$84.6

87.19%

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

$523 €447

$251 MX$4,385

108.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,978 €8,541

$5,789 MX$101.3K

72.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.1

$52.6 MX$921

66.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 €31.94

$40.09 MX$702

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €76.0

$93.0 MX$1,628

-4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.0

$89.8 MX$1,572

18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €901

$641 MX$11.2K

64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €692

$450 MX$7,875

79.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,433

$1,249 MX$21.9K

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,038

$861 MX$15.1K

40.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,487 €3,841

$2,740 MX$47.9K

63.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,733 €2,339

$1,589 MX$27.8K

72.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,111 €1,807

$804 MX$14.1K

162.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

11.45

-69.34%

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

Last update for Spain: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $899 in Spain, $530 in Mexico. Capital cities: $1,595 in Madrid vs $1,000 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $2,010 in Spain, $774 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 36% more in Spain.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 160% higher in Spain, giving Spain stronger purchasing power.

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

Spain vs Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,535 per month in Mexico and $2,208 in Spain, there's a 44% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Mexico is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Spain beats Mexico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Mexico wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.