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 $1,251 including rent across Mexico.

Estimated average monthly cost for a couple: $2,003 including rent across Mexico.

Average monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,755 including rent across Mexico.

Living costs in Mexico vary widely – from $791 in more affordable cities to $2,805 in major hubs, spanning a $2,014 range across 108 cities.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 MX$199

$5.81 MX$99.5

$20.34 MX$349

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.88 MX$786

$30.11 MX$516

$91.8 MX$1,572

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 MX$172

$8.26 MX$142

$11.80 MX$202

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$64.8

$2.03 MX$34.71

$5.79 MX$99.2

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

$1.57 MX$26.91

$1.19 MX$20.45

$2.98 MX$51.0

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.63

$0.69 MX$11.75

$2.00 MX$34.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 MX$51.5

$1.50 MX$25.74

$5.14 MX$88.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MX$79.5

$3.19 MX$54.6

$7.24 MX$124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$30.12

$1.21 MX$20.77

$2.35 MX$40.34

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 MX$51.2

$1.78 MX$30.50

$4.75 MX$81.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.25

$1.15 MX$19.66

$2.58 MX$44.19

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.70

$1.63 MX$27.94

$4.23 MX$72.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 MX$169

$4.71 MX$80.8

$17.67 MX$303

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 MX$148

$4.55 MX$78.0

$13.19 MX$226

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 MX$214

$8.14 MX$139

$20.35 MX$349

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.73 MX$29.67

$4.36 MX$74.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.42

$1.18 MX$20.25

$2.83 MX$48.45

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.08

$0.96 MX$16.40

$4.20 MX$71.9

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.77

$0.95 MX$16.36

$3.53 MX$60.5

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.50

$0.87 MX$14.94

$3.18 MX$54.5

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.08

$1.16 MX$19.82

$3.46 MX$59.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$25.95

$0.89 MX$15.32

$2.37 MX$40.58

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$20.02

$0.74 MX$12.68

$1.70 MX$29.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 MX$81.1

$4.39 MX$75.3

$6.28 MX$108

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 MX$199

$7.55 MX$129

$20.33 MX$348

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$32.53

$1.19 MX$20.46

$2.98 MX$51.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 MX$60.4

$1.49 MX$25.56

$5.36 MX$91.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.78

$0.34 MX$5.89

$1.03 MX$17.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.55 MX$506

$17.73 MX$304

$53.2 MX$911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 MX$50.4

$1.76 MX$30.20

$5.29 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 MX$49.59

$1.18 MX$20.15

$4.10 MX$70.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.69 MX$200

$5.84 MX$100

$17.53 MX$300

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.59

$1.38 MX$23.57

$1.62 MX$27.78

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

$22.3K MX$382.3K

$23.7K MX$406.0K

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

$25.9K MX$444.4K

$24.9K MX$427.2K

$26.7K MX$458.3K

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

$73.0 MX$1,250

$35.76 MX$613

$147 MX$2,520

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

$24.98 MX$428

$11.59 MX$199

$40.57 MX$695

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.02 MX$531

$23.37 MX$400

$46.73 MX$801

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 MX$686

$23.57 MX$404

$88.6 MX$1,518

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 MX$323

$11.52 MX$197

$28.80 MX$493

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$95.7

$4.11 MX$70.5

$8.82 MX$151

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

$279 MX$4,775

$177 MX$3,029

$745 MX$12.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 MX$114.2K

$3,028 MX$51.9K

$14.6K MX$249.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 MX$1,048

$29.47 MX$505

$88.4 MX$1,515

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.67 MX$765

$26.11 MX$447

$75.4 MX$1,291

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,802

$64.5 MX$1,106

$147 MX$2,513

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 MX$1,645

$45.99 MX$788

$167 MX$2,856

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 MX$12.9K

$408 MX$6,986

$1,398 MX$24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,612

$297 MX$5,094

$892 MX$15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 MX$24.5K

$730 MX$12.5K

$2,629 MX$45.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$15.9K

$575 MX$9,859

$1,669 MX$28.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,673 MX$45.8K

$1,051 MX$18.0K

$4,821 MX$82.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 MX$27.3K

$890 MX$15.2K

$2,770 MX$47.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 MX$14.0K

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: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center: $660 in Mexico. For reference, capital rent is $1,103 in Mexico City, and $265 in Zacatecas.

National average salary: $778. With average costs at $1,251, the gap is significant. Expats and remote workers with foreign income benefit most.

Expect to spend about $285 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant averages $47.00 for two.

In Mexico City (capital), expect about $1,660 per month, while Zacatecas offers the lowest costs at $791 – which city you pick has a tangible effect on the budget.

Cost Highlights

Overall living costs ($1,251) is 9% below the global median of $1,368.

Public transport ($12.00) is 65% below the global median of $34.00.

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)
1	Acapulco	658609	43	$646	$923	$2,022	$2,125	51.97	115.64
2	Acuna	160225	56	$797	$1,219	$1,866	$2,656	83.85	160.23
3	Aguascalientes	863893	54	$724	$1,143	$1,817	$2,556	46.46	125.13
4	Ajijic	-	63	$554	$1,356	$1,566	$2,884	50.11	113.75
5	Alamos, Sonora	10961	56	$771	$1,190	$1,879	$2,723	595.17	9.18
6	Atotonilco el Alto	26874	60	$854	$1,284	$2,193	$2,972	15.21	41.56
7	Azcapotzalco	432205	56	$748	$1,201	$1,764	$2,657	24.32	163.05
8	Boca del Rio	-	56	$648	$1,221	$1,913	$2,655	79.8	8.27
9	Bucerias	-	61	$792	$1,294	$2,141	$2,869	108.51	121
10	Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur	202694	80	$899	$1,706	$1,990	$3,418	130.91	126.39
11	Campeche	249623	55	$784	$1,152	$1,858	$2,594	205.83	118.59
12	Cancun	888797	69	$817	$1,486	$1,984	$3,354	60.8	143.1
13	Celaya	378143	49	$837	$1,065	$2,173	$2,313	52.94	148.52
14	Champotón	35799	60	$719	$1,271	$1,838	$2,789	72.39	32.5
15	Chapala	21596	53	$673	$1,126	$1,377	$2,264	350.09	113.75
16	Chihuahua	925762	62	$660	$1,341	$1,541	$2,557	38.29	129.6
17	Chilpancingo De Los Bravo	225728	56	$752	$1,230	$2,017	$2,749	27.03	79.55
18	Cholula	-	54	$823	$1,143	$2,218	$2,532	39.18	10.64
19	Ciudad del Carmen	191238	56	$714	$1,187	$1,597	$2,670	38.46	149.58
20	Ciudad Juarez	1501551	57	$799	$1,237	$1,793	$2,756	46.44	214.51
21	Ciudad Lerdo	96243	41	$488	$873	$1,216	$1,953	69.69	142.18
22	Ciudad Obregon	329404	56	$780	$1,195	$1,983	$2,737	81.65	131.72
23	Ciudad Victoria	332100	62	$887	$1,329	$2,143	$3,019	399.95	122.66
24	Coatzacoalcos	212540	56	$733	$1,229	$1,932	$2,696	100.28	124.15
25	Colima	146965	48	$728	$1,047	$1,632	$2,357	204.04	119.88
26	Cozumel	-	58	$710	$1,218	$1,963	$2,745	121.23	70.36
27	Cuajimalpa	217686	56	$826	$1,209	$1,816	$2,692	65.27	163.05
28	Cuauhtémoc	545884	56	$739	$1,226	$1,720	$2,647	54.94	163.05
29	Cuautitlan Izcalli	484573	53	$671	$1,139	$1,522	$2,437	65.36	149.03
30	Cuautla	157336	60	$701	$1,266	$2,257	$2,903	38.29	85.1
31	Cuernavaca	341029	50	$616	$1,060	$1,641	$2,488	48.44	128.43
32	Culiacan	808416	48	$791	$1,031	$1,753	$2,450	63.75	156
33	Durango	518709	52	$686	$1,115	$1,289	$2,425	120.22	131.63
34	Ecatepec	1645352	49	$948	$1,033	$2,041	$2,607	172.04	151.46
35	Ensenada	330652	53	$721	$1,139	$1,578	$2,538	89.44	118
36	Guadalajara	1385629	65	$826	$1,375	$2,014	$3,107	127.01	169.96
37	Guadalupe	635862	57	$725	$1,203	$2,107	$2,786	145.77	149.95
38	Guadelupe	-	56	$775	$1,210	$1,758	$2,671	59.72	36.81
39	Guanajuato	70068	52	$648	$1,134	$1,831	$2,341	36.07	98.33
40	Hermosillo	855563	58	$864	$1,245	$2,018	$2,792	2.01	146.3
41	Irapuato	452090	62	$854	$1,337	$2,020	$3,000	13.73	95.87
42	Isla Mujeres	13174	52	$640	$1,114	$1,603	$2,429	97.17	66.22
43	La Paz	250141	62	$752	$1,329	$1,700	$3,047	43.34	124.79
44	Lazaro Cardenas	83637	56	$652	$1,229	$1,718	$2,667	22.96	71.09
45	Leon	1579803	61	$958	$1,322	$2,160	$2,953	47.08	140.53
46	Los Cabos	-	67	$867	$1,419	$2,256	$3,232	139.17	44.96
47	Los Mochis	298009	55	$658	$1,180	$1,588	$2,579	152.54	138.34
48	Manzanillo	159853	62	$830	$1,315	$1,680	$3,353	75.15	119.49
49	Matamoros	510739	56	$782	$1,222	$1,800	$2,686	16.57	247.54
50	Mazatlan	441975	70	$759	$1,476	$1,939	$2,750	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 $791 to $2,805 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 $791 in budget-friendly smaller cities to $2,805 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 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.