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

08:04 8:04 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)
1	Acapulco	658609	41	$665	$851	$1,633	$1,992	51.97	115.64
2	Acuna	160225	58	$720	$1,253	$1,769	$2,474	83.85	160.23
3	Aguascalientes	863893	52	$680	$1,084	$1,677	$2,355	46.46	125.13
4	Ajijic	11439	63	$627	$1,327	$1,536	$2,840	50.11	113.75
5	Alamos, Sonora	10961	58	$701	$1,162	$1,724	$2,452	595.17	9.18
6	Atotonilco el Alto	26874	61	$776	$1,224	$1,978	$2,703	15.21	41.56
7	Azcapotzalco	432205	58	$712	$1,203	$1,742	$2,563	24.32	163.05
8	Boca del Rio	-	58	$723	$1,167	$1,767	$2,641	79.8	8.27
9	Bucerias	16161	62	$766	$1,287	$1,859	$2,698	108.51	121
10	Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur	202694	78	$792	$1,620	$1,942	$3,207	130.91	126.39
11	Campeche	249623	56	$671	$1,118	$1,648	$2,384	205.83	118.59
12	Cancun	888797	79	$767	$1,625	$1,898	$3,255	60.8	143.1
13	Celaya	378143	43	$649	$903	$1,630	$1,944	52.94	148.52
14	Champotón	35799	62	$737	$1,330	$1,830	$2,763	72.39	32.5
15	Chapala	21596	51	$558	$1,067	$1,305	$2,122	350.09	113.75
16	Chihuahua	925762	59	$693	$1,228	$1,653	$2,428	38.29	129.6
17	Chilpancingo De Los Bravo	225728	58	$706	$1,153	$1,748	$2,607	27.03	79.55
18	Cholula	908	52	$732	$1,077	$1,798	$2,329	39.18	10.64
19	Ciudad del Carmen	191238	58	$697	$1,207	$1,730	$2,640	38.46	149.58
20	Ciudad Juarez	1501551	54	$673	$1,140	$1,604	$2,538	46.44	214.51
21	Ciudad Lerdo	96243	43	$421	$892	$1,019	$1,803	69.69	142.18
22	Ciudad Obregon	329404	55	$613	$1,129	$1,488	$2,243	81.65	131.72
23	Ciudad Victoria	332100	59	$739	$1,235	$1,833	$2,645	399.95	122.66
24	Coatzacoalcos	212540	58	$708	$1,207	$1,751	$2,600	100.28	124.15
25	Colima	146965	45	$613	$941	$1,486	$2,125	204.04	119.88
26	Cozumel	77236	56	$670	$1,163	$1,665	$2,464	121.23	70.36
27	Cuajimalpa	217686	58	$717	$1,238	$1,713	$2,536	65.27	163.05
28	Cuauhtémoc	545884	58	$730	$1,237	$1,785	$2,681	54.94	163.05
29	Cuautitlan Izcalli	484573	54	$633	$1,132	$1,481	$2,306	65.36	149.03
30	Cuautla	157336	61	$774	$1,245	$1,960	$2,801	38.29	85.1
31	Cuernavaca	341029	58	$623	$1,208	$1,508	$2,368	48.44	128.43
32	Culiacan	808416	46	$712	$963	$1,718	$2,277	63.75	156
33	Durango	518709	53	$618	$1,108	$1,458	$2,265	120.22	131.63
34	Ecatepec	1645352	45	$750	$941	$1,840	$2,327	172.04	151.46
35	Ensenada	330652	51	$699	$1,067	$1,652	$2,340	89.44	118
36	Guadalajara	1385629	63	$748	$1,298	$1,808	$2,866	127.01	169.96
37	Guadalupe	635862	58	$724	$1,217	$1,792	$2,591	145.77	149.95
38	Guadelupe	-	58	$704	$1,190	$1,739	$2,581	59.72	36.81
39	Guanajuato	70068	50	$688	$1,036	$1,700	$2,131	36.07	98.33
40	Hermosillo	855563	55	$740	$1,148	$1,759	$2,537	2.01	146.3
41	Irapuato	452090	64	$822	$1,369	$2,001	$2,771	13.73	95.87
42	Isla Mujeres	13174	55	$682	$1,140	$1,653	$2,482	97.17	66.22
43	La Paz	250141	61	$729	$1,266	$1,821	$2,916	43.34	124.79
44	Lazaro Cardenas	83637	58	$700	$1,185	$1,712	$2,532	22.96	71.09
45	Leon	1579803	57	$808	$1,191	$1,970	$2,669	47.08	140.53
46	Los Cabos	202694	69	$939	$1,433	$2,241	$3,039	139.17	44.96
47	Los Mochis	298009	56	$674	$1,153	$1,598	$2,411	152.54	138.34
48	Manzanillo	159853	58	$677	$1,220	$1,620	$3,016	75.15	119.49
49	Matamoros	510739	58	$688	$1,223	$1,726	$2,604	16.57	247.54
50	Mazatlan	441975	67	$727	$1,392	$1,729	$2,612	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 $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.