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: $989 in Tembisa versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,565 in Tembisa versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,140 in Tembisa versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Tembisa costs roughly 33% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tembisa is 26% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.66 R 144

$13.14 MX$229

-34.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.77 R 563

$53.5 MX$934

-36.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 R 82.2

$9.33 MX$163

-47.16%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 35.46

$3.70 MX$64.5

-42.43%

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

$0.99 R 16.43

$1.60 MX$27.98

-38.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.64

$1.12 MX$19.49

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.67

$3.14 MX$54.7

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 41.45

$4.85 MX$84.5

-48.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.58

$1.65 MX$28.84

-32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.72

$2.71 MX$47.34

-63.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.27

$1.91 MX$33.29

-14.14%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.84

$2.59 MX$45.17

-5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 R 125

$9.81 MX$171

-23.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 R 77.1

$8.43 MX$147

-45.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.57 R 109

$11.93 MX$208

-44.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.59

$2.95 MX$51.5

-45.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.40

$1.74 MX$30.35

-12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.81

$2.04 MX$35.66

-24.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.21

$2.06 MX$35.93

-23.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.72

$2.15 MX$37.49

-39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.36

$2.26 MX$39.33

-46.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.19

$1.39 MX$24.17

-21.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.37

$1.12 MX$19.47

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R 45.54

$4.22 MX$73.6

-35.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.26 R 71.0

$17.51 MX$305

-75.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 23.18

$1.71 MX$29.82

-18.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.73

$3.63 MX$63.4

-54.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.96

$0.35 MX$6.15

362.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.87

$1.38 MX$24.00

-18.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 16.02

$0.28 MX$4.81

242.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 R 65.8

$5.28 MX$92.0

-25.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.46

$1.36 MX$23.69

-5.15%

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

$21.5K R 358.8K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

12.74%

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

$23.6K R 392.3K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

-0.23%

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

$118 R 1,965

$40.53 MX$707

191.07%

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

$35.04 R 584

$27.38 MX$478

27.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.95 R 682

$30.38 MX$530

34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.54 R 509

$52.2 MX$911

-41.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 R 112

$6.19 MX$108

8.89%

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

$195 R 3,245

$425 MX$7,414

-54.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,332 R 72.2K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-59.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 R 844

$58.3 MX$1,017

-13.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.44 R 540

$44.57 MX$777

-27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 R 1,480

$103 MX$1,805

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,314

$109 MX$1,897

-27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 R 5,947

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-64.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 R 5,536

$623 MX$10.9K

-46.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 R 11.4K

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 R 11.3K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-44.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 R 15.0K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-76.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$553 R 9,217

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-73.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$552 R 9,189

$1,052 MX$18.4K

-47.57%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Tembisa and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 91% 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: $34.00 in Tembisa vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $293 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 49% in total monthly costs ($989 vs $1,472 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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: $357 in Tembisa versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $195 in Tembisa versus $425 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 $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $989 in Tembisa versus $1,472 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 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.