Cost of Living in Mexico City: Rent, Housing & Income

Mexico City has become a destination for remote workers and long-stay visitors, and neighborhoods like Roma, Condesa and Polanco have prices to match. The city is huge, and a flat in one district can cost much more than a similar one a few metro stops away. This page covers Mexico City only, not Mexico as a whole. The figures are crowd-sourced estimates from Numbeo, converted to US dollars, and they move with the peso. Livingcost has no usable page for the city, so this is a one-source view.

The data were last checked on Oct 13, 2026.

Excluding rent, a single person spends about $774.20/mo, and a family of four $2,896/mo.

Most of the big costs are in housing, and the rest of the budget is moderate. The gap between the single and family totals shows how much the numbers grow with children and a larger household.

A one-bedroom apartment in the center is $821.79 – $1,534.01/mo, and outside the center $438.29 – $931.36/mo. The difference is large, and the central range extends to $1,534.01/mo, which fits the premium that neighborhoods popular with foreigners carry.

A three-bedroom is $1,643.58 – $3,287.15/mo in the center and $821.79 – $2,465.37/mo outside it. Family-sized apartments in the popular districts cost far more than the same size farther out. Houses and apartments in residential areas with parks and schools sit between the two.

Landlords may ask for a deposit of one or two months and a guarantor or proof of income. Newcomers who lack local references may pay more up front, so ask what your landlord will accept.

Basic utilities for an 85 square meter apartment are $32.87 – $106.44/mo, among the lowest in this series. Broadband is $21.91 – $54.79/mo and a mobile plan $12.05 – $41.09/mo. A monthly public transport pass is $13.70 – $54.79/mo.

The metro and bus network is cheap and extensive, but travel times can be long. Many residents also use ride-hailing, which is not included in the pass line.

An inexpensive restaurant meal averages $10.96 each. A liter of milk is $1.75 each and a dozen large eggs $2.82 each.

Street food and neighborhood restaurants cost less than the average, while restaurants in trendy districts cost more. Your food bill depends heavily on where you spend your time.

Numbeo lists an average monthly net salary after tax of $990.76/mo.

If you plan to work for a Mexican employer, check the offer against the rent table.

• Health insurance, public or private.
• Visa, residence permit and related fees. Check the official Mexican immigration pages.
• Flights and shipping.
• School tuition for children.
• Taxes. Ask a licensed advisor about your situation.

Visit more than one district at different hours. Altitude, air quality, noise and the age of the building vary between areas, and an earthquake-resistant structure matters in this city. Ask a landlord about water supply, since many buildings use a tank and a pump. Check how long the commute is by metro, not by distance.

Take the one-bedroom rent for your preferred area, then add utilities, internet, phone and transit. Estimate food by adding up your usual meals. Include a line for ride-hailing and weekend trips. Because the city offers cheap and expensive versions of almost everything, your actual total depends more on habits than on the average.

Many newcomers begin with a furnished short-term rental in a popular district and move once they know the city. Short-term listings usually cost more per month than a standard lease, so the central range of $821.79 – $1,534.01/mo may understate what you pay in the first weeks. After a month or two, look at listings in the neighborhoods you liked, and compare them with the $438.29 – $931.36/mo range outside the center.

Daily life in the city has a few features that cost nothing to check and a lot to ignore. Ask whether the building has a cistern and pump, who maintains them, and how often water is cut. Visit at night to hear traffic and nightlife. The city sits at high altitude, so some visitors need a few days to adjust.

The World Bank's price level ratio for Mexico was 53.7 in 2025, with the U.S. at 100. At market exchange rates, the same basket of goods and services cost about 54% of its U.S. price.

GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, was 25,868 international dollars in 2025 (U.S.: 90,027 international dollars in 2025). Consumer prices rose 3.8% in 2025 (U.S.: 2.9% in 2024).

These are country-level figures for Mexico, not for Mexico City alone.