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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $611 in Tema versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $989 in Tema versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,367 in Tema versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Tema costs roughly 58% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tema is 54% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.50 GHS 88.0

$13.18 MX$228

-43.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.73 GHS 326

$53.9 MX$932

-48.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 GHS 96.0

$9.42 MX$163

-13.16%

Cappuccino

$1.46 GHS 17.14

$3.55 MX$61.4

-58.87%

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

$1.00 GHS 11.78

$1.62 MX$27.98

-38.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 GHS 3.93

$1.11 MX$19.27

-70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 GHS 20.38

$3.12 MX$54.0

-44.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 GHS 31.63

$4.63 MX$80.1

-41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.98 GHS 34.94

$1.70 MX$29.43

75.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 GHS 19.69

$2.72 MX$47.02

-38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 GHS 18.22

$1.91 MX$33.07

-18.85%

Eggs

$2.18 GHS 25.64

$2.54 MX$43.86

-14.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.72 GHS 43.73

$10.03 MX$174

-62.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 GHS 32.08

$8.09 MX$140

-66.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.44 GHS 28.63

$11.62 MX$201

-79.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 GHS 31.76

$2.97 MX$51.3

-8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 GHS 24.38

$1.81 MX$31.24

14.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 GHS 24.27

$2.01 MX$34.82

2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 GHS 33.97

$2.03 MX$35.20

42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 GHS 21.60

$2.12 MX$36.75

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 GHS 23.15

$2.27 MX$39.25

-13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 GHS 7.16

$1.40 MX$24.22

-56.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 GHS 9.63

$1.13 MX$19.55

-27.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 GHS 84.7

$15.56 MX$269

-53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 GHS 9.66

$1.76 MX$30.39

-53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 GHS 23.87

$0.38 MX$6.62

434.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.80 GHS 467

$19.18 MX$332

107.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 GHS 16.64

$1.38 MX$23.79

2.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 GHS 9.00

$0.28 MX$4.78

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 GHS 13.98

$1.30 MX$22.55

-8.46%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

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

$30.84 GHS 362

$40.86 MX$707

-24.52%

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

$12.26 GHS 144

$26.81 MX$464

-54.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 GHS 759

$29.96 MX$518

115.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.37 GHS 227

$52.0 MX$900

-62.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

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

$82.4 GHS 967

$436 MX$7,544

-81.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.07 GHS 294

$56.7 MX$980

-55.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.67 GHS 290

$44.38 MX$768

-44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.82 GHS 538

$103 MX$1,780

-55.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 GHS 712

$106 MX$1,825

-42.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 GHS 1,371

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-88.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.6 GHS 782

$631 MX$10.9K

-89.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 GHS 1,629

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-88.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K GHS 117.6K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

156.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,030 GHS 70.8K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

192.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$390 GHS 4,576

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-65.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

32.5

11.34

186.60%

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

Last update for Tema: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Tema and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 186% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $288 per month, with Tema 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

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

Tema and Mexico City differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($611 vs $1,467 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 186% less. 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: $117 in Tema 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 Tema runs roughly 108% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $82.4 in Tema versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $611 in Tema versus $1,467 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 140% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.