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: $1,791 including rent across Mexico.

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,461 including rent across Mexico.

Living costs in Mexico vary widely – from $701 in more affordable cities to $2,382 in major hubs, spanning a $1,681 range across 108 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.51 MX$182

$5.26 MX$90.9

$18.39 MX$318

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.93 MX$725

$26.20 MX$453

$83.9 MX$1,450

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 MX$136

$6.80 MX$118

$10.46 MX$181

Cappuccino

$3.42 MX$59.2

$1.90 MX$32.78

$5.42 MX$93.8

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

$1.32 MX$22.83

$0.96 MX$16.68

$2.42 MX$41.79

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.98

$0.65 MX$11.26

$2.08 MX$35.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$40.81

$1.31 MX$22.63

$4.19 MX$72.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.66 MX$46.06

$6.40 MX$111

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.11 MX$19.13

$2.04 MX$35.27

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 MX$45.95

$1.62 MX$28.10

$4.32 MX$74.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.46

$1.04 MX$18.05

$2.39 MX$41.38

Eggs

$2.35 MX$40.66

$1.42 MX$24.63

$3.72 MX$64.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 MX$145

$4.15 MX$71.7

$13.27 MX$230

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$131

$3.94 MX$68.1

$12.17 MX$211

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 MX$187

$6.85 MX$118

$16.32 MX$282

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$47.13

$1.56 MX$27.05

$4.16 MX$72.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.03 MX$17.74

$2.71 MX$46.85

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.26

$0.80 MX$13.90

$3.76 MX$65.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.14

$0.78 MX$13.52

$2.88 MX$49.79

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.07

$0.81 MX$13.99

$2.98 MX$51.6

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.49

$1.00 MX$17.25

$3.13 MX$54.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.71

$0.80 MX$13.91

$2.10 MX$36.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$0.71 MX$12.23

$1.63 MX$28.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$73.7

$4.00 MX$69.2

$5.28 MX$91.3

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 MX$200

$7.22 MX$125

$20.22 MX$350

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$27.25

$1.03 MX$17.83

$2.57 MX$44.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 MX$52.3

$1.34 MX$23.18

$4.83 MX$83.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.48

$0.36 MX$6.16

$0.82 MX$14.14

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$455

$13.14 MX$227

$49.84 MX$862

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.54

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.59 MX$79.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MX$33.37

$0.72 MX$12.49

$2.90 MX$50.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.32 MX$92.0

$15.96 MX$276

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.22 MX$21.13

$1.39 MX$23.97

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

$20.1K MX$346.9K

$17.6K MX$303.8K

$26.2K MX$453.5K

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

$23.4K MX$405.5K

$22.2K MX$383.3K

$26.5K MX$458.6K

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

$62.4 MX$1,080

$30.59 MX$529

$136 MX$2,347

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

$23.27 MX$403

$10.57 MX$183

$31.70 MX$548

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 MX$494

$21.47 MX$371

$42.94 MX$743

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.68 MX$600

$18.16 MX$314

$72.7 MX$1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 MX$323

$10.78 MX$186

$26.95 MX$466

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 MX$81.1

$3.64 MX$63.0

$7.81 MX$135

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

$249 MX$4,308

$131 MX$2,265

$524 MX$9,060

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,774 MX$99.9K

$2,776 MX$48.0K

$12.9K MX$223.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$904

$26.32 MX$455

$79.0 MX$1,366

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 MX$697

$23.48 MX$406

$62.6 MX$1,083

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MX$1,609

$52.6 MX$910

$142 MX$2,457

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,515

$42.04 MX$727

$152 MX$2,636

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 MX$11.1K

$315 MX$5,452

$1,156 MX$20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 MX$7,743

$212 MX$3,662

$847 MX$14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 MX$21.2K

$635 MX$11.0K

$2,382 MX$41.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 MX$15.0K

$480 MX$8,299

$1,795 MX$31.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 MX$45.5K

$1,031 MX$17.8K

$4,730 MX$81.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,563 MX$27.0K

$852 MX$14.7K

$2,828 MX$48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$825 MX$14.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $530 across Mexico. For reference, capital rent is $1,022 in Mexico City, and $287 in Durango.

National average salary: $772. With average costs at $1,121, the gap is significant. Expats and remote workers with foreign income benefit most.

Expect to spend about $253 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $39.00 for two.

In Mexico City (capital), expect about $1,467 per month, while Durango offers the lowest costs at $701 – 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 $1,340.

Average rent ($530) is 15% below the global median of $627.

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	$692	$1,233	$1,849	$2,655	47.25	132.72
52	Mexicali	854186	53	$641	$1,061	$1,346	$2,113	183.38	147.94
53	Mexico City	9209944	73	$870	$1,467	$1,996	$3,274	184.67	163.05
54	Miguel Hidalgo	414470	56	$701	$1,124	$2,036	$2,646	72.54	163.05
55	Monclova	237169	58	$665	$1,153	$1,641	$2,560	173.95	101.88
56	Monterrey	1142994	80	$902	$1,601	$1,748	$3,568	188.33	157.53
57	Morelia	743275	47	$675	$944	$1,807	$2,075	140.56	135.67
58	Naucalpan de Juárez	792211	61	$789	$1,200	$1,774	$2,744	207.6	161.75
59	Nogales	261137	55	$659	$1,068	$1,341	$2,382	262.03	142.06
60	Nuevo Laredo	416055	55	$605	$1,106	$1,400	$2,454	97.74	250.2
61	Oaxaca de Juarez	258913	52	$524	$1,060	$1,296	$2,196	40.03	87.66
62	Pachuca	297848	43	$587	$876	$1,387	$1,997	15.15	94.2
63	Parral	113843	55	$615	$1,121	$1,459	$2,421	106.83	54.32
64	Piedras Negras	173959	54	$639	$1,050	$1,369	$2,298	196.35	145.47
65	Playa del Carmen	149923	64	$773	$1,297	$1,591	$3,065	128.84	90.8
66	Puebla	1542232	63	$704	$1,270	$1,849	$2,770	48.16	146.69
67	Puerto Escondido	25902	56	$604	$1,119	$1,522	$2,424	45.31	45.21
68	Puerto Penasco	56756	53	$647	$1,047	$1,442	$2,224	89.72	116.72
69	Puerto Vallarta	224166	78	$679	$1,557	$1,719	$3,190	134.16	129.26
70	Queretaro	804663	65	$853	$1,276	$1,885	$2,744	126.37	162.29
71	Reynosa	691557	61	$701	$1,206	$1,792	$2,456	89.6	250.86
72	Rosarito	100660	56	$574	$1,130	$1,657	$2,402	116.96	156.97
73	Salamanca	160682	56	$570	$1,132	$1,530	$2,429	216.22	85.95
74	Saltillo	864431	63	$636	$1,236	$1,633	$2,743	76.68	141.88
75	San Andres Tuxtla	61719	55	$609	$1,113	$1,531	$2,442	22.31	47.47
76	San Cristobal de las Casas	183509	45	$588	$894	$1,136	$1,835	17.27	38.49
77	San Felipe	28452	54	$653	$1,089	$1,467	$2,390	97.24	45.5
78	San Fernando	11867	55	$632	$1,088	$1,779	$2,387	64.25	45.41
79	San Luis Potosi	845941	58	$736	$1,142	$1,680	$2,569	17.29	141.21
80	San Luis Rio Colorado	176685	54	$571	$1,060	$1,552	$2,349	9.27	154.45
81	San Miguel de Allende	72452	82	$721	$1,660	$2,343	$3,679	97.24	165.13
82	San Pedro Garza Garcia	132169	118	$1,078	$2,382	$2,587	$5,267	170.13	164.66
83	Santa Clara de Valladares	2000	51	$641	$1,009	$1,384	$2,112	143.98	59.94
84	Sayulita	5000	55	$641	$1,095	$1,609	$2,458	100.1	121
85	Tampico	297562	55	$614	$1,093	$1,642	$2,390	27.38	140.95
86	Tapachula	217550	55	$732	$1,115	$1,564	$2,385	161.02	55.29
87	Tehuacan	293825	50	$591	$991	$1,411	$2,181	37.61	76.69
88	Tepic	371387	52	$659	$1,023	$1,348	$2,261	248.69	130.23
89	Texcoco de Mora	105165	55	$567	$1,118	$1,538	$2,392	138.62	125.61
90	Tijuana	1810645	63	$611	$1,249	$1,812	$2,716	147.77	188.69
91	Tlajomulco de Zúñiga	44103	54	$575	$1,050	$1,363	$2,408	32.01	140.43
92	Tlalnepantla	653410	53	$857	$1,078	$1,974	$2,348	63.81	160.13
93	Tlaxcala	13555	37	$580	$748	$1,377	$1,667	189.78	114.21
94	Todos Santos	-	55	$732	$1,124	$1,830	$2,427	127.93	112.98
95	Toluca	223876	58	$735	$1,170	$1,875	$2,592	81.39	151.07
96	Torreon	690193	43	$538	$832	$1,370	$1,920	91.86	147.37
97	Tulum	46721	53	$580	$1,057	$1,296	$2,787	280.67	79.12
98	Tuxtla Gutierrez	578830	46	$639	$911	$1,682	$2,130	103.49	113.44
99	Uruapan del Progreso	-	56	$652	$1,116	$1,357	$2,291	-	-
100	Veracruz	405952	51	$638	$1,042	$1,647	$2,275	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 $701 to $2,382 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 $701 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $2,382 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 Mexico's smaller cities, 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.