Last update: Nov 2026 124.8M

Cost of Living in Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Across Mexico, living costs for one person average $1,270 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 $1,270 including rent across Mexico.

$1,270 /mo

Estimated average monthly cost for a couple: $2,001 including rent across Mexico.

$2,001 /mo

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,732 including rent across Mexico.

$2,732 /mo

Living costs in Mexico vary widely – from $727 in the most affordable city to $2,584 in the most expensive one, spanning a $1,857 range across 108 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$197

$5.31 MX$98.5

$19.73 MX$366

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

$29.82 MX$553

$82.6 MX$1,533

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 MX$174

$7.73 MX$144

$11.05 MX$205

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$64.0

$1.83 MX$34.00

$5.24 MX$97.3

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

$1.46 MX$27.04

$1.09 MX$20.28

$2.72 MX$50.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$18.84

$0.64 MX$11.89

$1.97 MX$36.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 MX$50.6

$1.37 MX$25.39

$4.91 MX$91.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MX$81.3

$3.06 MX$56.7

$6.86 MX$127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$30.45

$1.14 MX$21.18

$2.19 MX$40.66

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$49.74

$1.59 MX$29.44

$4.50 MX$83.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.20

$1.06 MX$19.70

$2.38 MX$44.15

Eggs

$2.43 MX$45.02

$1.44 MX$26.72

$3.88 MX$71.9

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 MX$169

$4.36 MX$80.9

$16.36 MX$304

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$153

$4.33 MX$80.3

$12.73 MX$236

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.54 MX$214

$7.47 MX$139

$18.69 MX$347

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MX$54.0

$1.70 MX$31.64

$4.39 MX$81.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$29.95

$1.11 MX$20.60

$2.71 MX$50.4

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.29

$0.89 MX$16.43

$3.67 MX$68.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$36.62

$0.88 MX$16.32

$3.30 MX$61.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.90

$0.83 MX$15.43

$3.08 MX$57.1

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.65

$1.10 MX$20.43

$3.29 MX$61.1

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MX$25.33

$0.80 MX$14.76

$2.11 MX$39.19

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$20.91

$0.71 MX$13.19

$1.63 MX$30.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MX$83.8

$4.17 MX$77.4

$5.97 MX$111

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 MX$203

$6.57 MX$122

$19.16 MX$356

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$31.17

$1.05 MX$19.46

$2.61 MX$48.46

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 MX$59.5

$1.36 MX$25.16

$4.86 MX$90.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$12.26

$0.33 MX$6.04

$0.87 MX$16.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.65 MX$550

$17.95 MX$333

$48.96 MX$909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 MX$50.8

$1.64 MX$30.41

$5.48 MX$102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 MX$47.80

$0.46 MX$8.59

$4.02 MX$74.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 MX$197

$5.30 MX$98.3

$15.89 MX$295

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.37

$1.32 MX$24.52

$1.57 MX$29.08

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

$23.4K MX$434.1K

$20.6K MX$381.8K

$23.9K MX$443.0K

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

$23.8K MX$442.5K

$23.2K MX$430.7K

$24.8K MX$461.2K

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

$68.9 MX$1,279

$35.24 MX$654

$138 MX$2,565

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

$22.94 MX$426

$10.69 MX$198

$37.44 MX$695

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.74 MX$533

$21.72 MX$403

$43.46 MX$807

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.51 MX$659

$21.83 MX$405

$76.1 MX$1,412

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 MX$326

$10.74 MX$199

$26.85 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.28 MX$98.0

$3.85 MX$71.5

$8.79 MX$163

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

$256 MX$4,755

$160 MX$2,968

$674 MX$12.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,288 MX$172.4K

$3,540 MX$65.7K

$20.3K MX$376.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 MX$1,043

$27.24 MX$506

$81.7 MX$1,517

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 MX$768

$21.60 MX$401

$72.9 MX$1,353

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 MX$1,813

$54.4 MX$1,010

$141 MX$2,624

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,686

$43.58 MX$809

$158 MX$2,932

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 MX$13.8K

$384 MX$7,118

$1,370 MX$25.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 MX$8,709

$264 MX$4,903

$898 MX$16.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 MX$25.0K

$743 MX$13.8K

$2,633 MX$48.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 MX$16.4K

$532 MX$9,869

$1,595 MX$29.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 MX$48.9K

$1,197 MX$22.2K

$4,732 MX$87.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,500 MX$27.8K

$819 MX$15.2K

$2,702 MX$50.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$841 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

12.5

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

Last update: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Mexico $1,270

Accommodation & Living

$469 37%

Groceries & Markets

$271 21.3%

Eating Out

$187 14.7%

Clothing & Footwear

$129 10.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

$121 9.5%

Getting Around

$48 3.8%

Sport & Entertainment

$46 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $625 in Mexico. For reference, capital rent is $1,179 in Mexico City, and $245 in Zacatecas.

National average salary: $747. With average costs at $1,270, it doesn’t cover a typical monthly budget. 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 $1,674 per month, while Zacatecas offers the lowest costs at $727 – which city you pick has a tangible effect on the budget.

Cost Highlights

Overall cost of living ($1,270) is 6% below the global median of $1,352.

Good to know

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,777,324

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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)
1	Acapulco	658609	41	$662	$848	$1,625	$1,989	51.97	115.64
2	Acuna	160225	57	$709	$1,203	$1,732	$2,540	83.85	160.23
3	Aguascalientes	863893	51	$677	$1,076	$1,672	$2,366	46.46	125.13
4	Ajijic	11439	63	$627	$1,315	$1,538	$2,847	50.11	113.75
5	Alamos, Sonora	10961	57	$709	$1,195	$1,733	$2,555	595.17	9.18
6	Atotonilco el Alto	26874	61	$768	$1,266	$1,951	$2,751	15.21	41.56
7	Azcapotzalco	432205	57	$707	$1,197	$1,729	$2,532	24.32	163.05
8	Boca del Rio	-	57	$708	$1,190	$1,728	$2,549	79.8	8.27
9	Bucerias	16161	62	$767	$1,286	$1,865	$2,703	108.51	121
10	Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur	202694	77	$788	$1,626	$1,930	$3,195	130.91	126.39
11	Campeche	249623	56	$676	$1,166	$1,666	$2,492	205.83	118.59
12	Cancun	888797	78	$765	$1,616	$1,899	$3,256	60.8	143.1
13	Celaya	378143	43	$649	$898	$1,622	$1,936	52.94	148.52
14	Champotón	35799	61	$734	$1,286	$1,822	$2,687	72.39	32.5
15	Chapala	21596	51	$558	$1,062	$1,309	$2,105	350.09	113.75
16	Chihuahua	925762	59	$711	$1,248	$1,687	$2,447	38.29	129.6
17	Chilpancingo De Los Bravo	225728	57	$705	$1,196	$1,745	$2,560	27.03	79.55
18	Cholula	908	49	$697	$1,039	$1,727	$2,261	39.18	10.64
19	Ciudad del Carmen	191238	57	$709	$1,206	$1,735	$2,546	38.46	149.58
20	Ciudad Juarez	1501551	54	$665	$1,126	$1,585	$2,510	46.44	214.51
21	Ciudad Lerdo	96243	43	$422	$889	$1,020	$1,819	69.69	142.18
22	Ciudad Obregon	329404	53	$615	$1,140	$1,485	$2,386	81.65	131.72
23	Ciudad Victoria	332100	57	$743	$1,206	$1,846	$2,671	399.95	122.66
24	Coatzacoalcos	212540	57	$705	$1,203	$1,728	$2,530	100.28	124.15
25	Colima	146965	45	$615	$943	$1,489	$2,134	204.04	119.88
26	Cozumel	77236	56	$672	$1,157	$1,665	$2,481	121.23	70.36
27	Cuajimalpa	217686	56	$712	$1,227	$1,699	$2,604	65.27	163.05
28	Cuauhtémoc	545884	57	$705	$1,191	$1,727	$2,530	54.94	163.05
29	Cuautitlan Izcalli	484573	54	$633	$1,122	$1,482	$2,294	65.36	149.03
30	Cuautla	157336	61	$773	$1,272	$1,965	$2,770	38.29	85.1
31	Cuernavaca	341029	58	$618	$1,190	$1,505	$2,393	48.44	128.43
32	Culiacan	808416	46	$709	$957	$1,713	$2,281	63.75	156
33	Durango	518709	52	$611	$1,063	$1,442	$2,278	120.22	131.63
34	Ecatepec	1645352	45	$747	$939	$1,842	$2,331	172.04	151.46
35	Ensenada	330652	51	$691	$1,059	$1,636	$2,315	89.44	118
36	Guadalajara	1385629	62	$745	$1,298	$1,803	$2,840	127.01	169.96
37	Guadalupe	635862	58	$728	$1,211	$1,800	$2,612	145.77	149.95
38	Guadelupe	-	57	$710	$1,209	$1,741	$2,561	59.72	36.81
39	Guanajuato	70068	50	$689	$1,029	$1,695	$2,121	36.07	98.33
40	Hermosillo	855563	55	$741	$1,147	$1,767	$2,555	2.01	146.3
41	Irapuato	452090	63	$827	$1,325	$2,003	$2,816	13.73	95.87
42	Isla Mujeres	13174	54	$684	$1,135	$1,657	$2,471	97.17	66.22
43	La Paz	250141	61	$730	$1,273	$1,829	$2,908	43.34	124.79
44	Lazaro Cardenas	83637	57	$704	$1,191	$1,726	$2,527	22.96	71.09
45	Leon	1579803	57	$805	$1,189	$1,967	$2,661	47.08	140.53
46	Los Cabos	202694	68	$934	$1,428	$2,231	$3,056	139.17	44.96
47	Los Mochis	298009	54	$678	$1,143	$1,611	$2,445	152.54	138.34
48	Manzanillo	159853	58	$676	$1,200	$1,613	$3,000	75.15	119.49
49	Matamoros	510739	57	$707	$1,202	$1,727	$2,531	16.57	247.54
50	Mazatlan	441975	67	$729	$1,407	$1,739	$2,602	38.42	137.48

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 $727 to $2,584 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 $727 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $2,584 in the priciest areas. The gap is big enough to meaningfully affect lifestyle for anyone on a fixed income.

Outside the capital, costs in Mexico drop noticeably. Zacatecas is one of the best budget options.

$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.