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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Varese versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,436 in Varese versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,799 in Varese versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Varese is roughly 41% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varese 55% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$13.18 MX$228

30.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 €69.5

$53.9 MX$932

49.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.11 €12.13

$9.42 MX$163

49.79%

Cappuccino

$2.01 €1.73

$3.55 MX$61.4

-43.38%

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

$3.57 €3.07

$1.62 MX$27.98

120.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.11 MX$19.27

11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 €5.32

$3.12 MX$54.0

98.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$4.63 MX$80.1

23.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.70 MX$29.43

2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 €2.94

$2.72 MX$47.02

25.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 €2.76

$1.91 MX$33.07

68.06%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.56

$2.54 MX$43.86

62.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.69 €18.66

$10.03 MX$174

116.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.49

$8.09 MX$140

65.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.87 €29.14

$11.62 MX$201

191.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.31

$2.97 MX$51.3

-9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.04

$1.81 MX$31.24

31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.01 MX$34.82

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 €3.63

$2.03 MX$35.20

107.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.12 MX$36.75

0.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.61

$2.27 MX$39.25

-17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.40 MX$24.22

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$1.13 MX$19.55

-55.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.27 €6.26

$4.27 MX$73.9

70.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.22 €3.63

$15.56 MX$269

-72.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.76 MX$30.39

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$3.60 MX$62.2

-58.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.38 MX$6.62

407.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

$19.18 MX$332

137.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 €5.03

$1.38 MX$23.79

323.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.87

$0.28 MX$4.78

260.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.16 €35.41

$5.45 MX$94.2

655.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.30 MX$22.55

60.77%

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

$34.8K €30.0K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

86.49%

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

$36.2K €31.1K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

56.49%

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

$249 €215

$40.86 MX$707

510.60%

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

$13.70 €11.79

$26.81 MX$464

-48.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.06 €30.16

$29.96 MX$518

17.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €47.93

$52.0 MX$900

7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 €21.17

$26.84 MX$464

-8.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 €10.90

$6.30 MX$109

101.11%

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

$752 €647

$436 MX$7,544

72.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,789 €5,840

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.6

$56.7 MX$980

87.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.25 €35.48

$44.38 MX$768

-7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €107

$103 MX$1,780

20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €146

$106 MX$1,825

60.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 €806

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 €641

$631 MX$10.9K

18.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 €1,502

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-18.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 €1,517

$1,243 MX$21.5K

41.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 €2,114

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-37.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,687 €1,451

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-18.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,360 €2,030

$1,115 MX$19.3K

111.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

11.34

-59.17%

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

Last update for Varese: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $937 in Varese and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 112% 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: $81.0 in Varese vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Varese and Mexico City differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,073 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Varese pays 112% 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: $937 in Varese 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 138% less than in Varese. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $752 in Varese 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 $2,073 in Varese, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Varese. 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, Varese 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 41% less than in Varese. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.