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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Tembisa versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in Tembisa versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,166 in Tembisa versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Tembisa costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tembisa is 24% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.67 R 143

$13.30 MX$231

-34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.22 R 547

$53.8 MX$932

-38.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 R 77.8

$9.42 MX$163

-49.79%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.01

$3.59 MX$62.3

-40.67%

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

$0.98 R 16.17

$1.62 MX$28.13

-39.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.45

$1.12 MX$19.49

-32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.27

$3.25 MX$56.3

-30.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R 40.27

$4.65 MX$80.6

-47.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.14

$1.64 MX$28.37

-29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.22

$2.65 MX$46.00

-60.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.64

$1.96 MX$33.99

-17.35%

Eggs

$2.48 R 40.92

$2.54 MX$44.08

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 131

$9.97 MX$173

-20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R 74.5

$8.39 MX$145

-46.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 R 112

$11.83 MX$205

-42.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.23

$2.86 MX$49.62

-42.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.31

$1.73 MX$30.05

-14.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.20

$1.99 MX$34.50

-26.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.31

$2.05 MX$35.51

-19.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.69

$2.06 MX$35.64

-35.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.33

$2.28 MX$39.54

-46.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.84

$1.45 MX$25.05

-25.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.24

$1.09 MX$18.83

-14.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R 45.88

$4.27 MX$73.9

-34.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 80.5

$14.67 MX$254

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.88

$1.76 MX$30.58

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 27.10

$3.57 MX$61.8

-53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 R 27.80

$0.38 MX$6.67

344.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.88

$1.39 MX$24.09

-17.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.45

$0.30 MX$5.26

213.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 R 68.0

$5.41 MX$93.8

-23.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.31

$1.34 MX$23.22

-3.73%

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

$20.9K R 344.8K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

11.07%

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

$24.3K R 399.9K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

4.67%

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

$120 R 1,983

$40.30 MX$698

198.76%

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

$34.49 R 568

$27.15 MX$471

27.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.32 R 681

$29.46 MX$510

40.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.40 R 517

$52.7 MX$914

-40.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 R 108

$6.18 MX$107

5.66%

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

$199 R 3,282

$441 MX$7,637

-54.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,280 R 70.5K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-59.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 R 841

$57.2 MX$992

-10.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 R 533

$45.04 MX$781

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 R 1,450

$103 MX$1,793

-14.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 R 1,327

$109 MX$1,884

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,952

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 R 5,495

$632 MX$11.0K

-47.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.3K

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-68.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 R 11.3K

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-45.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$661 R 10.9K

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-82.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 R 10.1K

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-74.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 R 9,368

$1,079 MX$18.7K

-47.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.34

1.50%

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

Last update for Tembisa: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Tembisa and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 90% 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: $33 in Tembisa vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $286 per month, with Tembisa 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

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

Tembisa and Mexico City differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,019 vs $1,466 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 90% 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: $361 in Tembisa versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Tembisa versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Tembisa versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.