Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $627 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tehran and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $627 in Tehran versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Tehran $627
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,074 in Tehran versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Tehran $1,074
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,521 in Tehran versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Tehran $1,521
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Tehran costs roughly 60% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tehran is 54% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 $3.84

$10.75 MX$199

-64.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.95 $17.95

$50.3 MX$929

-64.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$11.10 MX$205

-63.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$3.68 MX$68.1

-63.59%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$1.65 MX$30.42

-67.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.30 MX$24.08

33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.77 MX$32.68

-60.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$3.05 MX$56.4

-80.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.01 MX$37.20

71.64%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$2.77 MX$51.1

-55.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$11.91 MX$220

-63.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$9.33 MX$172

-62.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$15.02 MX$278

-32.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$3.08 MX$56.8

-56.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.95 MX$35.97

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.03 MX$37.54

-41.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$2.21 MX$40.92

-69.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$2.02 MX$37.41

-72.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.82 MX$33.67

-71.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.52 MX$28.07

-65.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$1.28 MX$23.65

-78.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.27 MX$97.4

-51.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.31 MX$5.82

-70.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.66 $5.66

$19.85 MX$367

-71.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$2.00 MX$36.93

-76.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.53 MX$9.86

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$5.62 MX$104

-45.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.52 MX$28.07

-94.08%

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

$50.5K $50.5K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

140.23%

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

$44.2K $44.2K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

75.68%

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

$13.03 $13.03

$62.5 MX$1,155

-79.15%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$28.77 MX$532

-94.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.62 $3.62

$34.45 MX$637

-89.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.77 $24.77

$57.1 MX$1,055

-56.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 $13.60

$24.81 MX$458

-45.18%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$6.67 MX$123

-70.76%

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

$108 $108

$431 MX$7,964

-75.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,628 $2,628

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-77.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.05 $27.05

$70.8 MX$1,308

-61.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 $37.32

$51.8 MX$958

-28.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$109 MX$2,011

7.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$112 MX$2,076

-33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 $424

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$665 MX$12.3K

-60.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-49.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 $1,247

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-64.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 $723

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-63.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

$975 MX$18.0K

-78.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

11.3

119.38%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$262 41.7%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 154% $403

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$127 20.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 154% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.4%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 34% $39

Eating Out

Tehran

$68 10.8%

Mexico City

$203 13% 199% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 146% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Mexico City

$126 8% 590% $107

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 224% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Tehran and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 363% 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: $18.00 in Tehran vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $127 vs $323 per month, with Tehran cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

9 h 30 min behind Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Tehran Mexico City 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tehran
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Tehran and Mexico City differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($627 vs $1,567 including rent). Tehran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 363% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $424 in Tehran versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tehran runs roughly 251% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $108 in Tehran versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $627 in Tehran versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran 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.

Expats usually find Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.