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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Tokyo versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,693 in Tokyo versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,703 in Tokyo versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Tokyo is roughly 15% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tokyo 26% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 ¥1,294

$13.18 MX$228

-38.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.31 ¥7,727

$53.9 MX$934

-10.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 ¥910

$9.42 MX$163

-39.60%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥571

$3.55 MX$61.5

0.56%

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

$1.26 ¥202

$1.62 MX$28.03

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥148

$1.11 MX$19.31

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 ¥681

$3.12 MX$54.1

36.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 ¥848

$4.63 MX$80.2

14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥252

$1.70 MX$29.48

-7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥254

$2.72 MX$47.10

-41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 ¥851

$1.91 MX$33.13

178.53%

Eggs

$2.41 ¥385

$2.54 MX$43.94

-5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,565

$10.03 MX$174

59.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ¥1,255

$8.09 MX$140

-2.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.16 ¥3,704

$11.62 MX$201

99.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 ¥836

$2.97 MX$51.4

76.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ¥412

$1.81 MX$31.30

41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.73 ¥917

$2.01 MX$34.88

185.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$2.03 MX$35.26

194.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 ¥514

$2.12 MX$36.82

51.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ¥562

$2.27 MX$39.32

54.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ¥236

$1.40 MX$24.26

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥143

$1.13 MX$19.59

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥684

$4.27 MX$74.0

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,501

$15.56 MX$270

-39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥343

$1.76 MX$30.44

22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ¥461

$3.60 MX$62.3

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥237

$0.38 MX$6.64

289.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 ¥13.6K

$19.18 MX$332

342.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$1.38 MX$23.84

152.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥458

$0.28 MX$4.79

925.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.77 ¥4,281

$5.45 MX$94.4

391.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥195

$1.30 MX$22.60

-6.15%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

25.52%

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

$17.4K ¥2.8M

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-24.64%

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

$164 ¥26.2K

$40.86 MX$708

300.32%

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

$26.63 ¥4,259

$26.81 MX$465

-0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.94 ¥5,428

$29.96 MX$519

13.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ¥11.0K

$52.0 MX$901

32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ¥3,217

$26.84 MX$465

-25.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 ¥2,088

$6.30 MX$109

107.30%

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

$506 ¥81.0K

$436 MX$7,558

16.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ¥2.5M

$10.4K MX$180.5K

50.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 ¥9,611

$56.7 MX$982

6.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 ¥6,448

$44.38 MX$769

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.3K

$103 MX$1,784

-37.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ¥14.6K

$106 MX$1,829

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ¥175.0K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

7.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥95.4K

$631 MX$10.9K

-5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 ¥417.4K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

22.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 ¥214.2K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

7.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ¥1.7M

$3,903 MX$67.6K

176.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,974 ¥795.6K

$2,064 MX$35.8K

140.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 ¥400.1K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

124.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

11.34

-84.83%

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

Last update for Tokyo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Tokyo and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 124% 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: $48.00 in Tokyo vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $288, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Tokyo and Mexico City differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,684 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Tokyo pays 124% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,094 in Tokyo 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 Mexico City runs roughly 342% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $506 in Tokyo versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,684 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Tokyo and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.