Last update: Oct 2026 124.8M

Cost of Living in Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Across Mexico, living costs for one person average $1,274 a month, including rent and utilities, which take more than a third of the total. Other living expenses average about $24 a day.

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🇲🇽 Mexico

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Average monthly costs for a single person come to about $1,274 including rent across Mexico.

$1,274 /mo

Estimated average monthly cost for a couple: $2,010 including rent across Mexico.

$2,010 /mo

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,746 including rent across Mexico.

$2,746 /mo

Living costs in Mexico vary widely – from $730 in the most affordable city to $2,625 in the most expensive one, spanning a $1,895 range across 108 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 MX$199

$5.32 MX$99.5

$19.75 MX$369

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.29 MX$809

$28.41 MX$531

$82.4 MX$1,539

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 MX$167

$7.36 MX$137

$10.51 MX$196

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$67.4

$1.93 MX$35.99

$5.49 MX$103

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

$1.48 MX$27.57

$1.11 MX$20.68

$2.76 MX$51.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$18.68

$0.63 MX$11.79

$1.83 MX$34.27

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$49.80

$1.34 MX$24.99

$4.80 MX$89.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$81.6

$3.00 MX$56.0

$6.82 MX$127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$29.63

$1.09 MX$20.42

$2.12 MX$39.56

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$49.98

$1.59 MX$29.66

$4.49 MX$83.9

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.42

$1.06 MX$19.73

$2.37 MX$44.21

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.16

$1.51 MX$28.18

$4.03 MX$75.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$164

$4.21 MX$78.8

$15.80 MX$295

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 MX$149

$4.19 MX$78.3

$12.31 MX$230

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$215

$7.43 MX$139

$18.57 MX$347

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 MX$51.5

$1.57 MX$29.37

$4.18 MX$78.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.48

$1.05 MX$19.59

$2.56 MX$47.89

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$36.52

$0.89 MX$16.72

$3.67 MX$68.5

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$36.75

$0.88 MX$16.38

$3.24 MX$60.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$0.79 MX$14.85

$2.94 MX$55.0

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.90

$1.10 MX$20.57

$3.29 MX$61.5

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.78

$0.83 MX$15.49

$2.20 MX$41.12

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$21.29

$0.72 MX$13.42

$1.66 MX$31.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MX$84.5

$4.19 MX$78.3

$5.99 MX$112

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$203

$6.52 MX$122

$19.03 MX$356

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$32.99

$1.10 MX$20.59

$2.75 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MX$59.6

$1.35 MX$25.13

$4.83 MX$90.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.59

$0.31 MX$5.71

$0.82 MX$15.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 MX$558

$18.07 MX$338

$49.28 MX$921

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$49.74

$1.60 MX$29.96

$5.33 MX$99.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MX$50.8

$1.11 MX$20.76

$4.11 MX$76.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$199

$5.32 MX$99.4

$15.95 MX$298

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$26.12

$1.25 MX$23.40

$1.49 MX$27.75

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

$24.0K MX$447.9K

$20.7K MX$386.0K

$24.0K MX$447.9K

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

$23.9K MX$446.9K

$23.3K MX$435.0K

$24.9K MX$465.7K

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

$69.2 MX$1,293

$35.37 MX$661

$139 MX$2,592

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

$23.51 MX$439

$10.96 MX$205

$38.38 MX$717

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 MX$542

$21.83 MX$408

$43.65 MX$816

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 MX$649

$21.36 MX$399

$74.3 MX$1,389

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 MX$326

$10.59 MX$198

$26.48 MX$495

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 MX$98.0

$3.82 MX$71.5

$8.74 MX$163

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

$261 MX$4,869

$163 MX$3,040

$686 MX$12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,999 MX$112.1K

$2,685 MX$50.2K

$13.4K MX$250.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MX$1,043

$27.07 MX$506

$81.2 MX$1,517

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 MX$777

$21.64 MX$404

$70.3 MX$1,314

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 MX$1,800

$53.6 MX$1,001

$139 MX$2,603

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 MX$1,683

$43.22 MX$808

$157 MX$2,927

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 MX$13.3K

$370 MX$6,919

$1,322 MX$24.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,912

$268 MX$5,012

$912 MX$17.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$25.4K

$747 MX$14.0K

$2,669 MX$49.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 MX$16.9K

$545 MX$10.2K

$1,636 MX$30.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,597 MX$48.5K

$1,176 MX$22.0K

$4,555 MX$85.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MX$29.2K

$860 MX$16.1K

$2,802 MX$52.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$14.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

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

Last update: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Mexico $1,274

Accommodation & Living

$477 37.4%

Groceries & Markets

$267 21%

Eating Out

$187 14.7%

Clothing & Footwear

$128 10%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

$122 9.6%

Getting Around

$49 3.8%

Sport & Entertainment

$45 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $624 in Mexico. For reference, capital rent is $1,113 in Mexico City, and $241 in Zacatecas.

National average salary: $722. With average costs at $1,274, the gap is significant. Expats and remote workers with foreign income benefit most.

Expect to spend about $261 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $43 for two.

In Mexico City (capital), expect about $1,608 per month, while Zacatecas offers the lowest costs at $730 – which city you pick has a tangible effect on the budget.

Cost Highlights

Overall cost of living ($1,274) is 6% below the global median of $1,361.

Good to know

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,777,324

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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	63	$754	$1,307	$1,875	$2,946	47.25	132.72
52	Mexicali	854186	45	$616	$927	$1,461	$2,042	183.38	147.94
53	Mexico City	9209944	78	$834	$1,608	$2,021	$3,490	184.67	163.05
54	Miguel Hidalgo	414470	58	$739	$1,203	$1,995	$2,775	72.54	163.05
55	Monclova	237169	59	$752	$1,185	$1,808	$2,610	173.95	101.88
56	Monterrey	1142994	79	$808	$1,647	$1,983	$3,536	188.33	157.53
57	Morelia	743275	55	$734	$1,135	$1,768	$2,532	140.56	135.67
58	Naucalpan de Juárez	792211	60	$758	$1,196	$1,867	$2,769	207.6	161.75
59	Nogales	261137	58	$715	$1,257	$1,747	$2,542	262.03	142.06
60	Nuevo Laredo	416055	57	$704	$1,207	$1,742	$2,580	97.74	250.2
61	Oaxaca de Juarez	258913	55	$594	$1,124	$1,417	$2,347	40.03	87.66
62	Pachuca	297848	42	$563	$877	$1,324	$2,044	15.15	94.2
63	Parral	113843	58	$705	$1,189	$1,730	$2,534	106.83	54.32
64	Piedras Negras	173959	58	$707	$1,188	$1,729	$2,531	196.35	145.47
65	Playa del Carmen	149923	58	$739	$1,204	$1,799	$2,959	128.84	90.8
66	Puebla	1542232	56	$699	$1,156	$1,724	$2,503	48.16	146.69
67	Puerto Escondido	25902	59	$729	$1,219	$1,766	$2,572	45.31	45.21
68	Puerto Penasco	56756	61	$761	$1,264	$1,833	$2,665	89.72	116.72
69	Puerto Vallarta	224166	76	$819	$1,579	$2,033	$3,208	134.16	129.26
70	Queretaro	804663	67	$779	$1,395	$1,974	$2,866	126.37	162.29
71	Reynosa	691557	57	$663	$1,200	$1,592	$2,406	89.6	250.86
72	Rosarito	100660	59	$759	$1,223	$1,786	$2,589	116.96	156.97
73	Salamanca	160682	58	$717	$1,186	$1,746	$2,571	216.22	85.95
74	Saltillo	864431	62	$749	$1,297	$1,841	$2,830	76.68	141.88
75	San Andres Tuxtla	61719	58	$702	$1,230	$1,731	$2,513	22.31	47.47
76	San Cristobal de las Casas	183509	43	$561	$897	$1,334	$1,900	17.27	38.49
77	San Felipe	28452	56	$685	$1,147	$1,672	$2,402	97.24	45.5
78	San Fernando	11867	58	$701	$1,140	$1,694	$2,511	64.25	45.41
79	San Luis Potosi	845941	62	$791	$1,279	$1,909	$2,701	17.29	141.21
80	San Luis Rio Colorado	176685	59	$755	$1,229	$1,777	$2,491	9.27	154.45
81	San Miguel de Allende	72452	75	$905	$1,581	$2,171	$3,448	97.24	165.13
82	San Pedro Garza Garcia	132169	125	$821	$2,625	$2,121	$5,021	170.13	164.66
83	Santa Clara de Valladares	2000	61	$772	$1,293	$1,956	$2,831	143.98	59.94
84	Sayulita	5000	55	$680	$1,142	$1,651	$2,478	100.1	121
85	Tampico	297562	63	$823	$1,304	$2,061	$2,825	27.38	140.95
86	Tapachula	217550	58	$720	$1,227	$1,751	$2,670	161.02	55.29
87	Tehuacan	293825	60	$772	$1,305	$1,868	$2,731	37.61	76.69
88	Tepic	371387	57	$710	$1,221	$1,738	$2,548	248.69	130.23
89	Texcoco de Mora	105165	58	$737	$1,200	$1,800	$2,674	138.62	125.61
90	Tijuana	1810645	62	$766	$1,283	$1,788	$2,732	147.77	188.69
91	Tlajomulco de Zúñiga	44103	57	$703	$1,185	$1,720	$2,512	32.01	140.43
92	Tlalnepantla	653410	53	$783	$1,115	$1,910	$2,772	63.81	160.13
93	Tlaxcala	13555	37	$570	$758	$1,328	$1,717	189.78	114.21
94	Todos Santos	5148	68	$721	$1,418	$1,760	$2,804	127.93	112.98
95	Toluca	223876	54	$782	$1,114	$1,894	$2,539	81.39	151.07
96	Torreon	690193	57	$801	$1,180	$1,931	$2,602	91.86	147.37
97	Tulum	46721	59	$597	$1,238	$1,524	$2,866	280.67	79.12
98	Tuxtla Gutierrez	578830	43	$647	$903	$1,480	$2,119	103.49	113.44
99	Uruapan del Progreso	299523	57	$700	$1,136	$1,819	$2,646	-	-
100	Veracruz	405952	49	$616	$1,021	$1,526	$2,215	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 $730 to $2,625 monthly. Which city you choose has a big effect on your budget.

Mexico covers a wide cost spectrum. As of 2026, monthly expenses run from about $730 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $2,625 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. Zacatecas is one of the best budget options – lower costs without giving up access to essential services and everyday amenities.

$1,500 a month goes far in Mexico, especially outside the big cities. It’s a realistic single-person budget that covers housing, food, transport, and leisure comfortably.

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.