Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tema and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tema: $734 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Tema
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Tema Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Tema

🇬🇭 Ghana

$734

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tema 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 Tema and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Tema versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Tema $734
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Tema versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Tema $1,166
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,598 in Tema versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Tema $1,598
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Tema costs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tema is 46% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 GHS 77.2

$10.75 MX$199

-38.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.26 GHS 329

$50.3 MX$929

-43.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

Cappuccino

$4.97 GHS 57.9

$3.68 MX$68.1

35.05%

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

$0.88 GHS 10.23

$1.65 MX$30.42

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 GHS 3.25

$1.30 MX$24.08

-78.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 GHS 37.45

$3.32 MX$61.3

-3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 GHS 29.85

$5.54 MX$102

-53.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 GHS 36.13

$1.77 MX$32.68

75.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 GHS 17.72

$3.05 MX$56.4

-50.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 GHS 23.45

$2.01 MX$37.20

0.50%

Eggs

$2.33 GHS 27.08

$2.77 MX$51.1

-15.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.27 GHS 49.67

$11.91 MX$220

-64.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 GHS 36.31

$9.33 MX$172

-66.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.48 GHS 40.50

$15.02 MX$278

-76.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 GHS 29.29

$3.08 MX$56.8

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 GHS 25.37

$1.95 MX$35.97

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 GHS 24.19

$2.03 MX$37.54

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 GHS 38.65

$2.21 MX$40.92

50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 GHS 39.94

$2.02 MX$37.41

69.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 GHS 32.37

$1.82 MX$33.67

52.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 GHS 4.64

$1.52 MX$28.07

-73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 GHS 8.30

$1.28 MX$23.65

-44.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 GHS 14.37

$5.27 MX$97.4

-76.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 GHS 101

$16.12 MX$298

-45.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 GHS 24.97

$1.95 MX$36.05

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 GHS 34.30

$4.25 MX$78.6

-30.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 GHS 20.06

$0.31 MX$5.82

454.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.78 GHS 474

$19.85 MX$367

105.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 GHS 25.35

$2.00 MX$36.93

9.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 GHS 5.11

$0.53 MX$9.86

-16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 GHS 13.84

$1.52 MX$28.07

-21.71%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

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

$77.4 GHS 900

$62.5 MX$1,155

23.84%

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

$14.74 GHS 171

$28.77 MX$532

-48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 GHS 935

$34.45 MX$637

133.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.40 GHS 272

$57.1 MX$1,055

-59.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 GHS 101

$6.67 MX$123

30.43%

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

$167 GHS 1,946

$431 MX$7,964

-61.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,522 GHS 29.3K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-78.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.00 GHS 151

$70.8 MX$1,308

-81.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.35 GHS 179

$51.8 MX$958

-70.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.57 GHS 495

$109 MX$2,011

-60.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.35 GHS 365

$112 MX$2,076

-72.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$129 GHS 1,503

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-87.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.7 GHS 823

$665 MX$12.3K

-89.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 GHS 5,037

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-81.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 GHS 2,401

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-83.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K GHS 118.1K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

185.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,098 GHS 70.9K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

208.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 GHS 4,924

$975 MX$18.0K

-56.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

209.73%

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

Last update for Tema: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tema

$213 29.1%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 51.3% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tema

$173 23.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 27.1% $47

Eating Out

Tema

$139 * 18.9%

Mexico City

$203 13% 46.4% $64

Accommodation & Living

Tema

$71 9.6%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 840% $594

Getting Around

Tema

$52 7.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 50.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Tema

$46 6.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 236% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Tema

$41 5.6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 72.6% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $129 in Tema and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 130% 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: $28.00 in Tema vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $323 per month, with Tema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇭 Tema

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

6 h behind Tema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 GHS = 8.6 USD

100 GHS = 7.65 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GHS – Ghanaian Cedi Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi (₵)

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 11.63 GHS (100 GHS = 8.6 USD). 1 EUR = 13.07 GHS (100 GHS = 7.65 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).

USD to GHS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tema Mexico City 10,750 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Tema
Mexico City

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

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

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

Tema and Mexico City differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($734 vs $1,567 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 130% 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: $129 in Tema 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 Tema runs roughly 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $167 in Tema versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $734 in Tema versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.