Mexico City at a glance
- Mexico City ranks 4th of 6 priced cities in Mexico on cost: $1,250 a month in essentials, 32% above Playa del Carmen, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $1,048 covers that 0.8×.
- 104.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 20.9 µg/m³ a year, 4× 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 Mexico City 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 | $1,250 | $1,172 | $78 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $711 | $596 | $116 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,113 | $1,018 | $96 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $168 | $162 | $6 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $252 | $274 | $22 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $98 | $136 | 1.39× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $21 | $25 | $4 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,048 | $852 | $195 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,310 | $1,240 | $70 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,493 | $1,874 | 1.33× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Mexico City, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $11.70 | $13.54 | $1.84 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $51.31 | $51.31 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $10.34 | $10.87 | $0.53 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.81 | $3.96 | $0.15 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.42 | $3.00 | $0.42 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.70 | $4.97 | $0.73 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.60 | $1.58 | $0.02 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.30 | $1.31 | $0.01 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.80 | $1.81 | $0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $3.02 | $2.92 | $0.10 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.97 | $1.90 | $0.07 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.82 | $2.55 | $0.27 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $11.88 | $10.55 | $1.33 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $9.63 | $9.71 | $0.08 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.16 | $2.98 | $0.19 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.97 | $1.60 | $0.37 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.36 | $2.24 | $0.12 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.03 | $2.13 | $0.10 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.85 | $1.93 | $0.08 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.32 | $1.23 | $0.09 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.34 | $0.63 | 1.85× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $20.52 | $24.52 | $4.00 |
| Taxi start | $2.00 | $2.56 | 1.28× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.54 | $2.14 | 3.96× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.53 | $1.53 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $63.94 | $102.84 | 1.61× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $34.15 | $33.09 | $1.06 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $28.65 | $25.95 | $2.70 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $56.94 | $36.08 | 1.58× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.84 | $6.84 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Mexico City has 104.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipality level). That is the 5th-highest of 6 Mexico cities we track. Mexico's national figure is 97.4, so Mexico City runs 7 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 Mexico City ranks against every city we track
Mexico City sits ahead of 44% of the 542 cities we track on cost of living. On local salary it is ahead of 41% of 545. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 16% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Mexico City sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Gobierno CDMX, CC0.
