Cost of Living Comparison Between Tres Cantos and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Tres Cantos and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,592 in Tres Cantos versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,360 in Tres Cantos versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,129 in Tres Cantos versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Tres Cantos is roughly 10% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tres Cantos 18% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 €13.05

$12.98 MX$223

16.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 €49.08

$52.6 MX$903

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 €9.01

$9.43 MX$162

10.92%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$3.57 MX$61.3

-39.22%

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

$2.44 €2.10

$1.61 MX$27.55

51.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.15 MX$19.81

48.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.04

$3.15 MX$54.0

12.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$4.86 MX$83.4

-30.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.70 MX$29.17

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.64 MX$45.23

-47.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.90 MX$32.67

-12.11%

Eggs

$2.80 €2.42

$2.54 MX$43.62

10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.57

$10.08 MX$173

33.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.46

$8.29 MX$142

4.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 €13.09

$11.57 MX$199

31.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.03 MX$52.0

-19.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.71 MX$29.35

16.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.05 MX$35.16

-7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.06 MX$35.36

29.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.06 MX$35.43

-16.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.17 MX$37.25

-11.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.40 MX$24.08

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$1.12 MX$19.26

-36.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 €5.30

$4.29 MX$73.7

43.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.33 €4.59

$15.41 MX$265

-65.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.67 MX$28.74

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$3.69 MX$63.3

-43.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.38 MX$6.55

336.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.63 €28.97

$19.06 MX$327

76.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.38 MX$23.70

189.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.28 MX$4.74

346.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.63 €21.22

$5.42 MX$92.9

354.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.28 MX$21.98

40.63%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

105.49%

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

$30.5K €26.3K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

30.09%

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

$133 €115

$41.02 MX$704

224.89%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$26.92 MX$462

-24.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.01 €27.58

$29.69 MX$510

7.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.01 €40.50

$52.3 MX$898

-10.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 €12.71

$26.23 MX$450

-43.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.93

$6.18 MX$106

48.87%

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

$411 €354

$427 MX$7,331

-3.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,539 €6,495

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-29.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 €72.2

$56.8 MX$975

47.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.20 €31.19

$44.83 MX$769

-19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 €76.2

$105 MX$1,794

-15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.1

$106 MX$1,819

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 €744

$995 MX$17.1K

-13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €598

$621 MX$10.7K

11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 €1,150

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €861

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-20.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,178 €2,738

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-18.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,322 €2,000

$2,096 MX$36.0K

10.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,341 €2,878

$1,107 MX$19.0K

201.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.34

-69.14%

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

Last update for Tres Cantos: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $864 in Tres Cantos and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tres Cantos pays 202% 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: $57.0 in Tres Cantos vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $288, with Tres Cantos 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

Tres Cantos vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tres Cantos and Mexico City differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,592 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Tres Cantos pays 202% 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: $864 in Tres Cantos versus $995 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 76% less than in Tres Cantos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $411 in Tres Cantos versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,592 in Tres Cantos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Tres Cantos. 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, Tres Cantos 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 10% less than in Tres Cantos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.