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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,328 in Utena versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,098 in Utena versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,868 in Utena versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Utena costs roughly 8% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Utena is 1% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.41 €9.83

$12.98 MX$223

-12.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €60.4

$52.6 MX$903

33.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 €6.00

$9.43 MX$162

-26.09%

Cappuccino

$3.08 €2.65

$3.57 MX$61.3

-13.73%

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

$2.57 €2.21

$1.61 MX$27.55

59.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.15 MX$19.81

66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.10

$3.15 MX$54.0

87.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.86

$4.86 MX$83.4

16.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.70 MX$29.17

-21.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.32

$2.64 MX$45.23

-42.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.90 MX$32.67

5.79%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.64

$2.54 MX$43.62

20.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 €9.21

$10.08 MX$173

6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 €4.68

$8.29 MX$142

-34.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.71 €8.37

$11.57 MX$199

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$3.03 MX$52.0

-55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.71 MX$29.35

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.05 MX$35.16

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.74

$2.06 MX$35.36

54.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 €0.70

$2.06 MX$35.43

-60.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 €0.85

$2.17 MX$37.25

-54.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.40 MX$24.08

11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.12 MX$19.26

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.91

$4.29 MX$73.7

32.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.27

$15.41 MX$265

-45.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.67 MX$28.74

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$3.69 MX$63.3

-51.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.38 MX$6.55

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.93 €29.23

$19.06 MX$327

78.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.01

$1.38 MX$23.70

237.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.28 MX$4.74

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 €11.68

$5.42 MX$92.9

150.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.28 MX$21.98

28.91%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

102.29%

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

$28.5K €24.6K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

21.48%

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

$210 €181

$41.02 MX$704

411.77%

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

$14.12 €12.16

$26.92 MX$462

-47.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.76 €10.13

$29.69 MX$510

-60.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.48 €35.74

$52.3 MX$898

-20.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 €19.71

$26.23 MX$450

-12.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 €8.08

$6.18 MX$106

51.78%

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

$454 €391

$427 MX$7,331

6.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,063

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 €119

$56.8 MX$975

143.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 €36.79

$44.83 MX$769

-4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €72.9

$105 MX$1,794

-19.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 €162

$106 MX$1,819

77.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 €460

$995 MX$17.1K

-46.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 €311

$621 MX$10.7K

-41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 €710

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-61.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 €572

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-47.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 €2,268

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-32.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,649 €1,421

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-21.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,237 €1,066

$1,107 MX$19.0K

11.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.13

11.34

-63.58%

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

Last update for Utena: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Utena and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utena pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Utena vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $288, with Utena 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

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

Utena and Mexico City differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,328 vs $1,447 including rent). Utena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Utena pays 12% 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: $534 in Utena 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 Utena runs roughly 78% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $454 in Utena versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,328 in Utena versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Utena but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Utena 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, Utena 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 Utena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.