Cost of Living Mexico City

When I review and analyze a country, one of the criteria I evaluate the cost of living. I don’t think I am alone, just a quick google search will provide countless articles describing the cost of living in any country. 

Mexico consistently lands on list after list of most affordable countries to live in. This is great news for someone interested in living on Latin America (Latam). No need to give up on luxuries and familiarities of your home country. 

The best example of a a modern luxury with out the western price tag is Uber. I hail from the great PNW in the USA. A part of the US that is known for a great economy, plenty of nature, and a great quality of life. However, these aspects have create huge increases in price for the same quality of life. I live near and airport. Only 20 minutes, an Uber ride to or from my home to  the airport will run you about $40 US. The equivalent Uber ride in Mexico, $8 (with tip), thats right, an 80% decrease. 

I spent a week in Mexico City during a highly touristic time of the year, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). I spend less than $1000 US on food, Ubers, AirBnbs, and all activities (museums, tours, etc). On vacations, spending certainly goes up, so how much would you spend in Mexico City if you were to live there?

I looked at a few resources that calculate cost of living based on user generated data, real people disclosing how much things cost. I think this is a great way to estimate a monthly budget. However, the downsides can arise if the user reported prices don’t actually match what you might see in the destination. So these will be estimates that give you an idea of how much you need to live in Mexico City, one of the most expensive areas in the country!

If you are single, the average monthly cost with rent is ~$1200 US.

Here are some averages of everyday living expenses:

Prices will vary depending on what part of the city you want to live in. Its not difficult to find safe, affordable areas that have better infrastructure than what you can find on the US. If you are not interested in renting and want to purchase real estate in Mexico, I have discussed the details on this here.

I you want to dive deeper, I would recommend Expatistan and Numbeo. Both great resources on cost of living, and where I go personally when doing research into a place I plan to visit.