Cost of Living in Mexico - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Average monthly costs for a single person come to about $1,121 including rent across Mexico.

Estimated average monthly cost for a couple: $1,781 including rent across Mexico.

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,441 including rent across Mexico.

Living costs in Mexico vary widely – from $687 in more affordable cities to $2,360 in major hubs, spanning a $1,673 range across 108 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$184

$5.26 MX$91.9

$18.39 MX$322

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.82 MX$731

$26.14 MX$457

$83.6 MX$1,462

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 MX$137

$6.79 MX$119

$10.44 MX$183

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$59.0

$1.87 MX$32.67

$5.34 MX$93.4

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

$1.34 MX$23.38

$0.98 MX$17.09

$2.45 MX$42.81

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.20

$0.65 MX$11.41

$2.08 MX$36.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.79

$1.29 MX$22.62

$4.15 MX$72.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$72.2

$2.58 MX$45.04

$6.20 MX$108

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.35

$1.10 MX$19.28

$2.03 MX$35.55

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$45.01

$1.57 MX$27.53

$4.19 MX$73.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.09 MX$19.08

$2.50 MX$43.73

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.39

$1.43 MX$25.08

$3.74 MX$65.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$151

$4.26 MX$74.5

$13.63 MX$238

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 MX$132

$3.93 MX$68.7

$12.15 MX$212

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$188

$6.78 MX$119

$16.16 MX$283

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.14

$1.58 MX$27.63

$4.20 MX$73.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.51

$0.99 MX$17.35

$2.62 MX$45.82

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.52

$0.78 MX$13.59

$3.64 MX$63.7

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.45

$0.78 MX$13.65

$2.88 MX$50.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.67

$0.77 MX$13.43

$2.83 MX$49.48

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.93

$1.03 MX$17.97

$3.22 MX$56.4

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$22.14

$0.78 MX$13.56

$2.02 MX$35.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.22

$0.70 MX$12.21

$1.61 MX$28.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MX$76.2

$4.09 MX$71.5

$5.40 MX$94.4

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 MX$201

$7.17 MX$125

$20.08 MX$351

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.81

$1.08 MX$18.85

$2.69 MX$46.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$1.33 MX$23.31

$4.81 MX$84.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.25

$0.38 MX$6.61

$0.87 MX$15.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.22 MX$458

$13.11 MX$229

$49.73 MX$869

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$47.01

$1.37 MX$24.04

$4.58 MX$80.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$34.83

$0.75 MX$13.04

$2.99 MX$52.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 MX$186

$5.33 MX$93.2

$16.00 MX$280

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.29

$1.18 MX$20.56

$1.33 MX$23.33

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

$20.4K MX$355.9K

$17.8K MX$311.7K

$26.6K MX$465.2K

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

$23.3K MX$408.2K

$22.1K MX$385.9K

$26.4K MX$461.7K

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

$63.3 MX$1,107

$31.04 MX$543

$138 MX$2,407

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

$23.40 MX$409

$10.63 MX$186

$31.88 MX$557

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$491

$21.11 MX$369

$42.22 MX$738

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 MX$616

$18.46 MX$323

$73.9 MX$1,291

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.50 MX$324

$10.69 MX$187

$26.73 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$85.0

$3.78 MX$66.1

$8.10 MX$142

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

$247 MX$4,316

$130 MX$2,269

$519 MX$9,076

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,786 MX$101.2K

$2,782 MX$48.6K

$12.9K MX$226.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 MX$902

$26.00 MX$455

$78.0 MX$1,364

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.40 MX$724

$24.12 MX$422

$64.3 MX$1,125

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 MX$1,650

$53.4 MX$934

$144 MX$2,520

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 MX$1,544

$42.39 MX$741

$154 MX$2,687

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MX$11.3K

$319 MX$5,575

$1,169 MX$20.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 MX$7,967

$216 MX$3,768

$862 MX$15.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 MX$21.8K

$647 MX$11.3K

$2,426 MX$42.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 MX$14.9K

$471 MX$8,228

$1,760 MX$30.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.4K

$1,017 MX$17.8K

$4,666 MX$81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,536 MX$26.9K

$841 MX$14.7K

$2,731 MX$47.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 MX$14.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $530 in Mexico. For reference, capital rent is $1,003 in Mexico City, and $294 in Durango.

National average salary: $761. With average costs at $1,121, the gap is significant. Expats and remote workers with foreign income benefit most.

Expect to spend about $252 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $39.00 for two.

In Mexico City (capital), expect about $1,456 per month, while Durango offers the lowest costs at $687 – which city you pick has a tangible effect on the budget.

Cost Highlights

Overall living costs ($1,121) is 16% below the global median of $1,336.

Average rent ($530) is 16% below the global median of $631.

Dining out ($39.00) is 19% below the global median of $48.00.

Public transport ($11.00) is 67% below the global median of $33.00.

By City in Mexico

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
51	Merida	975000	61	$630	$1,233	$1,649	$2,660	47.25	132.72
52	Mexicali	854186	53	$512	$1,067	$1,289	$2,164	183.38	147.94
53	Mexico City	9209944	73	$821	$1,456	$2,255	$3,266	184.67	163.05
54	Miguel Hidalgo	414470	56	$676	$1,105	$1,649	$2,707	72.54	163.05
55	Monclova	237169	58	$670	$1,169	$1,898	$2,487	173.95	101.88
56	Monterrey	1142994	80	$751	$1,618	$1,820	$3,552	188.33	157.53
57	Morelia	743275	47	$628	$931	$1,368	$2,081	140.56	135.67
58	Naucalpan de Juárez	792211	61	$830	$1,204	$1,903	$2,701	207.6	161.75
59	Nogales	261137	55	$565	$1,104	$1,502	$2,384	262.03	142.06
60	Nuevo Laredo	416055	55	$613	$1,124	$1,518	$2,369	97.74	250.2
61	Oaxaca de Juarez	258913	52	$526	$1,047	$1,208	$2,236	40.03	87.66
62	Pachuca	297848	43	$519	$880	$1,121	$2,021	15.15	94.2
63	Parral	113843	55	$576	$1,113	$1,723	$2,441	106.83	54.32
64	Piedras Negras	173959	54	$668	$1,082	$1,253	$2,231	196.35	145.47
65	Playa del Carmen	149923	64	$707	$1,256	$1,601	$3,017	128.84	90.8
66	Puebla	1542232	63	$685	$1,234	$1,986	$2,715	48.16	146.69
67	Puerto Escondido	25902	56	$684	$1,101	$1,691	$2,398	45.31	45.21
68	Puerto Penasco	56756	53	$638	$1,053	$1,665	$2,265	89.72	116.72
69	Puerto Vallarta	224166	78	$726	$1,571	$1,951	$3,253	134.16	129.26
70	Queretaro	804663	65	$679	$1,294	$2,085	$2,692	126.37	162.29
71	Reynosa	691557	61	$647	$1,213	$1,441	$2,448	89.6	250.86
72	Rosarito	100660	56	$693	$1,128	$1,598	$2,422	116.96	156.97
73	Salamanca	160682	56	$595	$1,136	$1,761	$2,428	216.22	85.95
74	Saltillo	864431	63	$671	$1,231	$1,972	$2,749	76.68	141.88
75	San Andres Tuxtla	61719	55	$622	$1,111	$1,420	$2,364	22.31	47.47
76	San Cristobal de las Casas	183509	45	$574	$892	$1,440	$1,867	17.27	38.49
77	San Felipe	28452	54	$539	$1,089	$1,698	$2,311	97.24	45.5
78	San Fernando	11867	55	$702	$1,096	$1,606	$2,403	64.25	45.41
79	San Luis Potosi	845941	58	$816	$1,143	$1,878	$2,574	17.29	141.21
80	San Luis Rio Colorado	176685	54	$626	$1,075	$1,404	$2,331	9.27	154.45
81	San Miguel de Allende	72452	82	$749	$1,624	$1,916	$3,627	97.24	165.13
82	San Pedro Garza Garcia	132169	118	$1,010	$2,360	$2,695	$5,112	170.13	164.66
83	Santa Clara de Valladares	2000	51	$503	$1,011	$1,151	$2,104	143.98	59.94
84	Sayulita	5000	55	$647	$1,127	$1,576	$2,394	100.1	121
85	Tampico	297562	55	$675	$1,119	$1,907	$2,387	27.38	140.95
86	Tapachula	217550	55	$653	$1,100	$1,432	$2,451	161.02	55.29
87	Tehuacan	293825	50	$647	$984	$1,360	$2,173	37.61	76.69
88	Tepic	371387	52	$599	$1,038	$1,527	$2,285	248.69	130.23
89	Texcoco de Mora	105165	55	$709	$1,100	$1,745	$2,428	138.62	125.61
90	Tijuana	1810645	63	$660	$1,247	$1,506	$2,660	147.77	188.69
91	Tlajomulco de Zúñiga	44103	54	$684	$1,052	$1,628	$2,409	32.01	140.43
92	Tlalnepantla	653410	53	$795	$1,075	$1,970	$2,323	63.81	160.13
93	Tlaxcala	13555	37	$589	$742	$1,401	$1,671	189.78	114.21
94	Todos Santos	-	55	$723	$1,096	$1,427	$2,418	127.93	112.98
95	Toluca	223876	58	$744	$1,143	$1,842	$2,520	81.39	151.07
96	Torreon	690193	42	$678	$843	$1,516	$1,911	91.86	147.37
97	Tulum	46721	53	$550	$1,049	$1,378	$2,790	280.67	79.12
98	Tuxtla Gutierrez	578830	46	$619	$941	$1,436	$2,087	103.49	113.44
99	Uruapan del Progreso	-	56	$583	$1,117	$1,596	$2,282	-	-
100	Veracruz	405952	51	$565	$1,011	$1,515	$2,317	44.32	140.84

Mexico Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Mexico - Frequently Asked Questions

Cost of Living in Mexico is a useful frame for comparing regions and planning longer stays. Mexico can offer a favorable balance of value, with a wide range of choices that let you align pace, amenities, and location with your budget. You may find modern apartments in vibrant cities at reasonable rents compared with similar Western hubs, while street food and locally produced goods remain affordable if you shop like a local. Tourism spots push prices higher, but you can optimize value by choosing longer tenancy, off-season travel, and public transit over rideshares. Tip: Plan with flexibility and test a few neighborhoods before committing.

Day-to-day life often blends practical affordability with vibrant local culture. When housing, search for layouts that balance safety, travel time, and access to markets; neighborhoods outside the main tourist belts can offer better value with similar amenities. Food options range from inexpensive street plates to fresh markets and moderate restaurants. Public transit is generally reliable in larger cities, and ride-hailing apps are common; for remote work, coworking spaces in central districts provide reliable Wi-Fi and meetups. Understanding Mexico living cost helps you compare rent, groceries, and transit across cities. Tip: start with short stays in a couple of areas to gauge convenience and mood.

Choosing a base in Mexico often comes down to pace and priorities. For a budget-friendly fit, consider smaller cities or vibrant neighborhoods on the periphery of major hubs, or midtown districts with easy access to transit and markets. For a livelier digital nomad scene, look at urban cores with coworking options and frequent cultural events. A practical budgeting framework is to categorize needs (housing, food, transport) and test a few neighborhoods seasonally to compare costs and quality of life. Seasonal shifts in tourism can affect crowding and prices; use off-peak periods to lock in longer leases and smoother services. Tip: map your priorities and trial neighborhoods before committing.

As of 2026, living expenses in Mexico span $687 to $2,360 monthly. Capitals and tourist hotspots sit at the top end; provincial towns offer substantially cheaper living.

Mexico covers a wide cost spectrum. As of 2026, monthly expenses run from about $687 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $2,360 in the priciest areas. The gap is big enough to meaningfully affect lifestyle for anyone on a fixed income.

Outside the capital and tourist areas, costs in Mexico drop fast. Durango is one of the best budget options – lower costs without giving up access to essential services and everyday amenities.

$1,500 supports a modest but comfortable life in the smaller cities of Mexico, but feels tight in Mexico City. Rent is the deciding factor – keep housing costs low and the rest of the budget opens up.

Living costs in Mexico are average by world standards. Regional cities offer better value than Mexico City, and most residents with steady jobs or remote income find things manageable.