Merida at a glance
- Merida ranks 3rd of 6 priced cities in Mexico on cost: $1,094 a month in essentials, 15% above Playa del Carmen, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $612 covers that 0.6×.
- 98.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Mexico cities we track, so every row says whether Merida is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,094 | $1,172 | $78 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $511 | $596 | $84 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $676 | $1,018 | 1.51× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $151 | $162 | $12 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $257 | $274 | $16 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $154 | $136 | $18 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $21 | $25 | $4 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $612 | $852 | 1.39× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $995 | $1,240 | $246 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,305 | $1,874 | 1.44× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Merida, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.40 | $13.54 | $2.14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $57.01 | $51.31 | $5.70 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.55 | $10.87 | 1.27× as much |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.00 | $3.96 | $0.04 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.00 | $3.00 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.85 | $4.97 | 1.29× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.25 | $1.58 | 1.26× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.43 | $1.31 | $0.12 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.63 | $1.81 | $0.18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.81 | $2.92 | $0.10 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.83 | $1.90 | $0.07 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.00 | $2.55 | 1.27× as much |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.71 | $10.55 | $0.16 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.05 | $9.71 | $1.66 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.89 | $2.98 | $0.08 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.55 | $1.60 | $0.05 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.12 | $2.24 | $0.12 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.36 | $2.13 | $0.23 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.87 | $1.93 | $0.06 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.20 | $1.23 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.68 | $0.63 | $0.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $20.52 | $24.52 | $4.00 |
| Taxi start | $2.85 | $2.56 | $0.29 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $3.99 | $2.14 | 1.86× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.54 | $1.53 | $0.01 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $117.63 | $102.84 | $14.79 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $36.42 | $33.09 | $3.34 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $23.66 | $25.95 | $2.29 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $30.64 | $36.08 | $5.44 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.70 | $6.84 | $0.86 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Merida has 98.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipality level). That is the lowest of the 6 Mexico cities we track. Mexico's national figure is 97.4, so Merida runs 1 above the country as a whole.
Every Mexico region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Merida ranks against every city we track
Merida sits ahead of 86% of the 562 cities we track on safety. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 61% of 892. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 10% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Merida sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Chivista, CC BY-SA 3.0.
