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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,122 in Vac versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,777 in Vac versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,431 in Vac versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Vac costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vac is 16% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 Ft 2,685

$13.18 MX$228

-33.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.58 Ft 14.2K

$53.9 MX$932

-13.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 Ft 2,577

$9.42 MX$163

-10.30%

Cappuccino

$2.14 Ft 653

$3.55 MX$61.4

-39.72%

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

$1.44 Ft 438

$1.62 MX$27.98

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 Ft 329

$1.11 MX$19.27

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 Ft 577

$3.12 MX$54.0

-39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 Ft 694

$4.63 MX$80.1

-50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Ft 324

$1.70 MX$29.43

-37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 471

$2.72 MX$47.02

-43.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 Ft 585

$1.91 MX$33.07

0.52%

Eggs

$2.69 Ft 820

$2.54 MX$43.86

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 Ft 2,790

$10.03 MX$174

-8.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 Ft 1,777

$8.09 MX$140

-27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 Ft 3,625

$11.62 MX$201

2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 Ft 571

$2.97 MX$51.3

-37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 Ft 577

$1.81 MX$31.24

4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 623

$2.01 MX$34.82

1.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 Ft 952

$2.03 MX$35.20

53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 Ft 335

$2.12 MX$36.75

-48.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 Ft 382

$2.27 MX$39.25

-44.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 457

$1.40 MX$24.22

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Ft 172

$1.13 MX$19.55

-50.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,029

$4.27 MX$73.9

55.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 Ft 1,658

$15.56 MX$269

-65.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 Ft 333

$1.76 MX$30.39

-38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 Ft 431

$3.60 MX$62.2

-60.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 Ft 347

$0.38 MX$6.62

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 Ft 7,588

$19.18 MX$332

29.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 Ft 904

$1.38 MX$23.79

115.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 Ft 337

$0.28 MX$4.78

296.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.31 Ft 5,280

$5.45 MX$94.2

217.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 Ft 539

$1.30 MX$22.55

36.15%

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

$26.2K Ft 8.0M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

40.40%

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

$30.6K Ft 9.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

32.18%

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

$141 Ft 42.9K

$40.86 MX$707

244.35%

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

$26.12 Ft 7,965

$26.81 MX$464

-2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.74 Ft 6,021

$29.96 MX$518

-34.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.11 Ft 14.4K

$52.0 MX$900

-9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 Ft 5,177

$26.84 MX$464

-36.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 Ft 2,224

$6.30 MX$109

15.71%

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

$300 Ft 91.4K

$436 MX$7,544

-31.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,697 Ft 2.0M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-35.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 Ft 21.7K

$56.7 MX$980

25.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 Ft 8,463

$44.38 MX$768

-37.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 Ft 22.4K

$103 MX$1,780

-28.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 Ft 25.9K

$106 MX$1,825

-19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 Ft 132.8K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-57.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 Ft 104.1K

$631 MX$10.9K

-45.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 Ft 233.7K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-64.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 Ft 215.1K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-43.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,233 Ft 985.9K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-17.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,480 Ft 756.4K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

20.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,534 Ft 468.0K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

37.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

11.34

-34.74%

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

Last update for Vac: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Vac and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Vac vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $288 per month, with Vac 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

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

Vac and Mexico City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,122 vs $1,467 including rent). Vac is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Vac pays 38% 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: $436 in Vac 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 Vac runs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $300 in Vac versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,122 in Vac versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vac but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Vac 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, Vac 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 Vac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.