3.18/5
2,050 reviews
Photo by Carlos Aguilar via Unsplash

Cost of Living in Mexico City

To increase honesty, reviews are anonymous. You can only add one review per city or it replaces/edits your old one. Reviews with URLs or emails are removed. If you're writing about data being wrong, please don't do it here as it'll be removed here.

great

stay

food

areas

roma

safe

condesa

expensive

night

love

cdmx

polanco

amazing

cheap

air

nice

stayed

pollution

bit

i liked the city very much
super pricey though with apartments because the only "gringo" places that has nature vibes like condesa is very expensive .
didnt like polanco
the center is very nice during the day , during the night not so much haha
overall loved the city.

12 days ago

Love Mexico City but as many have pointed out, yes it’s gotten very expensive for rent. for a city that has earthquakes, no drinkable running water, poor infrastructure and safety concerns, I cannot understand the prices. However, there is SO much fun to be had here. It was hard to focus on work because I would be going out so much. Love the food. Definitely can’t wait to go back. Looking for places outside the Condesa bubble though as prices have sky rocketed.

2 months ago

It's an amazing city with tons of things to offer. However, it is expensive. Been living in Mexico for 3 years and was coming to CDMX frequently. I've seen a huge increase in prices for accommodations and minor but noticeable price increase for groceries/restaurants.
Another con is relatively high taxes for those who earn more than 2k USD it will be 30%. Taxation in Mexico is progressive.
So my personal sum up is - it doesn't worth it.

2 months ago

Love it!
Don't expect them to speak English, that is NOT their native language. If you're going to go, learn some Spanish and respect their culture.
No gentrification in Mexico, please.

9 months ago

Stayed in for a month and it was enough for me.
Pros:
-Great weather.
-Great Restaurant scene
-Amazing areas to walk around and super green for a major city
-Lots to do, was never bored here
-Good healthcare
-Good shopping

Cons:
-The pollution is quite bad and very noisy
- Cost, one of the most expensive places in Latin America, maybe Cancun & Cabo are the only places more expensive
-The traffic was probably the worst I have ever witnessed, very chaotic.
-Starting to become westernised so a lot more woke stuff post-pandemic with the new generation.

If you like New York city then you will like Mexico city.

1 year ago

I stayed here for 6 months and I absolutely love Mexico City. The life is comfortable if you stay in the bubbles, namely Roma Norte, Condesa and Polanco, but the living cost has increased 30% since last year, due to the inflation and skyrocketing mexican pesos. Mexican people are so friendly and I never had any safety issues. Definitely will be back in the future.

1 year ago

I stayed in Roma for 2 weeks and had a blast. While the rich area is definitely a bubble, it has a beautiful, modern European feel to it. Lots of green space, endless cafe's, tons of parks and museums. But you have to be careful at night because the cops can rob you. It sucks to be worried about the people who are supposed to protect you.

1 year ago

I've been in Mexico for 3 years. Mainly CDMX. Originally from NYC. So here's what I think about it:

Pros:
-Great weather. I like it a bit chiller since I love the fall,
-Awesome street food
-Amazing areas to walk around and super green for a major city
-People are cool. Definitely if you speak some Spanish.

Cons:
-The noise pollution. Easily some one the worst I've experienced.
-Foreigner fatigue. Since they have so many foreigners, it can seem people are just over it.
-Cost. This isn't a city for budget travelers.
-The elevation is 7,350 ft (2,240m). For context; Denver is 5280 ft.

Overall, I would recommend Guadalajara over CDMX.

1 year ago

I am here right now from the US for almost 6 months. The "international" upscale part of the city, ie Roma, Condesa, Polanco, is absolutely gorgeous, but it is rising in price FAST - a private room in a coworking hostel has gone from $1000 to $1500 in the past year in Roma Norte... When you venture outside of these bubble neighborhoods, you quickly realize that it is still a developing country, so you need to be okay with that.

Fun, nice people from all over the world, and Mexicans are SUPER welcoming in all aspects - I've made lots of great friends and the dating scene is wonderful. You can party or you can not party - there is something for everyone. As a nomad or expat, I love it here. If I was in my 20s, I would easily live here for 5+ years. But as a 34 year old man who wants to settle down soon, I don't know if it's really the place for that.

Favorite part - friendliness towards foreigners
Least favorite part - the NOISE everywhere

2 years ago

I spent 1 month in CDMX, in February. Here are some pros and cons:

CDMX Pros:
- loved the green spaces everywhere
- Chapultepec park is amazing
- Cheap street food and especially loved the “menu de la dia” at the smaller restaurants.
- Cheap Uber
- Bus and subway system was great and clean!
- Surprisingly clean given the population size
- People were friendly and helpful
- Walkable city
- February (everyday the weather was identical; sunny with lows in the 50’s and highs of 75-80F), not one drop of rain
- Several great free museums

Cons:
- lots of street noises, so make sure you have an apartment that faces interior if you are sensitive to noise or do a lot of conference calls.
- Air pollution issues
- It took me 2 weeks before my allergies were under control
- Making sure you have coins to use the toilets
- No rain
Compared to NYC,I felt much more safe and enjoyed it waaaaay better!

2 years ago

If you have money, stay in Lomas. That's it. The other areas of the city which every Samantha, Bryan, and pink-haired person named Leaf have mentioned are all worth visiting and enjoying, but just stay in Lomas. Quiet, less population, no dust, and most importantly, you can avoid the broke Americans from Bushwick or WeHo who eat at Orinoco every night to save money.

2 years ago

I really enjoyed my first week here, but as I got to know more locals and heard their stories, I was disturbed at the security situation. Almost everyone I met has horror stories about being robbed at gunpoint, robbed by the police, and in one case even drugged and robbed by a taxi driver. It's not even safe to walk a short distance at night (locals told me to just take Uber). Beyond the security issues, scams also abound, and the covid policy is wacky, with hand sanitizer being forced on you everywhere you go (watch out: many of these products from Mexico contain toxic ingredients according to the FDA). Prices are similar to in Europe, yet security is much worse. In my book, that's a bad deal. I don't see myself spending much time here in the future.

3 years ago

I was here for 10 days and loved it. Rome and La Condesa are the fun places to be, albeit on the more expensive side. I love the city for its parks & nature, for the food, for the culture, and for the nightlife. Parks: there are trees everywhere, even in the most urban streets; the parks are massive and frequent (Chapultepec, Parque Mexico, and Parque Espana are all way bigger than a map makes them appear). Food: the best! $3 street tacos or $120 rooftop patio, incredibly delicious no matter what. The history and culture is so fun, between the Anthropology museum, art galleries, Teotihuacan - I didn't even get into Centro Historico. And the night options are great, with dancing, bars, clubs all widely available.

I am looking forward to going back.

3 years ago

I stayed in La Condesa and it was a beautiful neighborhood filled with trees and dogs on a leash of various breeds. Restaurant culture is pretty strong. The best poke bowls I ever had is in here.

3 years ago

I recommend visiting during the rainy season late spring - early autumn. That's the warmest time of year, and it generally rains for just an hour or two, which clears the air pollution. That air pollution gets gnarly in winter! The busyness of the city can be a blessing or a curse. It took me a couple of days to enjoy the vibe, but I do like it. However, it can get old - but it's not the city's fault, it's a mindset thing. My experiences here are mixed. A lot of street food and small food vendors are run by young people, and the food isn't as great as the smaller cities in Mexico. As others mentioned, Airbnb taxes are nuts, but oddly enough, craigslist is a descent way to find a place to rent on short term lease. My biggest complaint is us. Our presence and our incomes have driven up the price of most everything here, and coffee/beer/food/accommodation are now at/near western prices.

3 years ago

I must be alone on this one; but I did 2 weeks in CDMX and it wasn't great for me. First of all, it was CHILLY in the mornings and at night (late August - Early Sept). And to stay in the nicer and convenient neighborhoods, which you kind of have to in CDMX or you will be bothered, the airbnbs were pricey, and nearby restaurants too. Sidewalks very small and cramped. The vendors and police were a bit aggressive here. The nightlife was a bit dull to me, limited to just a few places. The green parks were nice, and some of the music performers were nice, it also had good coffee. But for me, CDMX wasn't that great a work location, seemed less safe, was too chilly, and kind of expensive. It was however nice you could use a visa almost ANYWHERE.

3 years ago

I'm the one who left the review complaining about how people don't speak English 2-3 months ago. I think it's only fair to leave another review as I projected a pretty negative overall picture of the place.
I came back a second time and boy, I'm glad I did.
The language barrier didn't disappear, but I came with a different mindset and made efforts to learn some basic Spanish. Being able to explain how you want your coffee even makes a huge difference.
Mexican people are kind and warm-hearted. Of course, no one will hug you on the street and people keep to themselves just as in western societies, but on encounters with others, they are much more compassionate. You can definitely feel the Latin vs. the first-world vibe.
It's far from perfect, but it is very authentic. If you come humble, put your ego aside, and be accepting of a new culture, you may find yourself leaving with strong feelings for the place, some sadness for leaving, and a warm feeling in your heart at the thought of coming back next time.

4 years ago

If you stay in Roma or Polanco you'll be fine. Mexico City was a little too chaotic for my taste, but also had some really beautiful and cool neighborhoods and a must visit if you find yourself in the middle of Mexico. Uber runs here so that makes it easy to get around.
It can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be, a decent hostel will run you $15 - $20/night. I cook many of my meals and prefer to splurge at nice restaurants a few nights a week vs eating at cheap places for every meal. Groceries run about $30-$50/week and a decent meal with a drink or 2 for me was around $20-$30. (you can eat for pennies here - I'm a bit bougie when it comes to eating out)
As a female solo traveler I didn't feel safe being out past dark alone, but other people felt fine. Worst part for me was the air quality best part was the cheap flights out of Mexico City ha.

4 years ago

It's not dangerous if you stay in the right areas.
No one speaks English. I mean no one. If you don't speak Spanish, be prepared to use GoogleTr. / sign language / no habla espanol all the time, and also being laughed at while trying to explain yourself.
AirBnB is super expensive. The government puts a very high tax on the accommodations.
Overall, these shortened my stay significantly, I intended to stay for long but after less than a month I was anxious to leave to a place where I can at least communicate on a basic level with people.

4 years ago

We stayed here for two months. This was an amazing experience. I plan to move back for a longer time.

We came here from Los Angeles, we lived in Polanco and Roma, both great but I would recommend Roma as it has a younger crowd, a bit more active, and cheaper. Even with going out to dinner several times a week still found a hard to spend beyond $25 USD for a meal, even in more expensive neighborhoods like Polanco with amazing food around every corner!!

It felt very safe and there were police officers everywhere. I think in an effort to make sure everyone feels safe in the capital.

In addition, the public transit and subway system is great and very clean for the size of the city!! I've used public transit in most major global cities and have lived in NYC.

4 years ago

Came to CDMX from NYC. Lived in a bunch of cities around the US. CDMX is my favorite. That being said, it's still Latin America. Take precautions. I grew up in the NYC area around the gangs and stuff of the 90s and 00s. Here are a few tips to strongly consider

1) Live in Polanco, no farther north than Juarez, no father south than Escandon (unless you're going to Coyocan), no farther east than Roma or Doctores. All assuming you want to be near some action. Don't listen to these wannabe "woke" people. These areas the cops tend to be around and about. As well as other tourist and likes of.

2) Uber everywhere thats too far to walk. Definitely at night. From Escandon to Roma is about 40 pesos (2 USD). While, the metro is much cheaper, there's a reason they have a female only car. Also you have to really know here you're going

3) The people here are awesome. Made some solid friends. Just be careful and don't be too trusting. To an American, 200 usd is good money but nothing to commit a crime over. Here, that is some people monthly income. I personally know a buddy of mine who got set up and almost robbed. Just be careful.

I do love it here and have 0 plans on leaving. Just don't walk around like its all safe.

4 years ago

I do love Mexico City, it's incredibly vibrant with friendly people.

That said, I will warn against following advice from people who go for a few months and say, "it's safe because I never had an issue".

This is Latin America and it is known to be dangerous for a reason, statistically, even Mexico City is very unsafe. The chance of something dangerous happening goes up the longer you stay, only you can decide if that's worth it.

4 years ago

Mexico City is a blast and at a decent price. Safety wise, it's much like any other big city: be careful where you go at night. There's plenty of great food throughout the city with much to do during the day and at night (YES to Lucha Libre!).

4 years ago

Mexico City is perfectly safe. I've lived in areas like Doctores and Guerrero and never had an issue. $1300 per month is inaccurate. You can get a 1 bed studio or apartment for less than $400. The 'living like a local' cost is perfectly achievable, why would it be $800 more for a nomad? Narvarte and Napoles are perfect areas to stay.

Stay away from typical areas like Condesa if you actually want to feel like a local. All you'll get in Condesa is overpriced bars, gringos and muggings because thieves know people spending $1300 will go there!

Don't listen to people saying get Uber. Waste of time. The Metro is 5 pesos and much faster. You're not going to get murdered.

5 years ago

it's a great place to live and i recommend to visit it just to check it out.
We came here on our way from Playa del Carmen to USA and loved it so much that we decided to live there.

5 years ago

Great food and affordable Airbnbs in decent neighborhoods! What more could you ask for! Highly recommend Mexico City if you're passing through LATAM.

6 years ago

Amazing, amazing, amazing. I initially arrived there for 2 weeks with an intention for it to be just a transit stop, but stayed there for 3 months. Stay in the right areas (Condesa, Roma, Coyoca, Polanco, Coyocan, etc), take Uber and take basic precautions. It's a lovely town with endless food options and work options.
Accomodations are not cheap by Mexican standards, but very affordable comparing to USA. It's just a great place to live, in my opinion.
The only thing that is bad is quality of the air (not everywhere, though, but in general). If you are sensible to a bad air - take a trip and see how you adjust to it. It's a big issue, yes, but I feel like the are much more pros than cons.
Viva Mexico!

6 years ago

Important to stay in the right areas, and air pollution can be an issue. Budget lots of time for this place -- there are so many people to meet and things to do! Transportation can require a bit more advance planning than elsewhere due to traffic.

6 years ago

The digital nomad hotspot of Latin America now, far surpassing Medellin recently. It's like the Bangkok of America. It's very cheap, very fun and relatively safe now (if you stay in the right areas).

6 years ago

✅ Very cheap food options

✅ Vibrant nightlife

✅ Great public transportation

✅ Friendly and helpful people

✅ Beautiful parks and green spaces

✅ Endless food options

✅ Warm weather

✅ Affordable accommodations compared to the USA

✅ Affordable to live

✅ Fast internet

✅ Lots of fun stuff to do

✅ Warm all year round

✅ Perfect humidity now

✅ Good air quality usually

✅ Nomads.com members liked going here

✅ Many Nomads.com members here all year round

✅ Very easy to make friends

✅ Easy to do business

✅ Roads are pretty safe

✅ Democratic

✅ Safe for women

✅ Family friendly

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ Not many people smoke tobacco

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ Air pollution issues

❌ Safety concerns in certain areas

❌ High accommodation prices due to rising demand

❌ Noise pollution

❌ Limited English speakers

❌ Freedom of speech is weak

❌ Not very safe

❌ Feels crowded

❌ Quality of education is low

❌ Hospitals are bad

❌ People don't speak English well

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels

63 17°
cool

66 19°
mild

70 21°
mild

75 24°
warm

70 21°
mild

68 20°
mild

66 19°
mild

Real

63 17°
cool

66 19°
mild

70 21°
mild

75 24°
warm

68 20°
mild

69 21°
mild

68 20°
mild

67 20°
mild

66 19°
mild

64 18°
cool

66 19°
mild

Humidity

too dry
26%

too dry
17%

too dry
19%

too dry
20%

too dry
29%

nice
39%

nice
41%

nice
42%

nice
41%

nice
37%

too dry
28%

too dry
23%

Most common

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
25mm

dry
2mm

dry
32mm

rainy
59mm

rainy
80mm

rainy
159mm

rainy
163mm

rainy
169mm

rainy
183mm

rainy
102mm

dry
40mm

dry
16mm

Cloud

pockets
27%

clear
6%

pockets
11%

pockets
28%

pockets
32%

cloudy
52%

pockets
49%

cloudy
51%

pockets
44%

pockets
26%

pockets
13%

Air quality

okay
73 US AQI

okay
65 US AQI

okay
58 US AQI

okay
67 US AQI

okay
97 US AQI

clean
48 US AQI

okay
58 US AQI

okay
51 US AQI

okay
53 US AQI

okay
59 US AQI

okay
63 US AQI

okay
70 US AQI

Sun

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
10 UVI

avoid sun
12 UVI

avoid sun
11 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
10 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

Remote workers

4,456 people

4,213 people

4,700 people

4,414 people

4,600 people

2,838 people

2,693 people

3,846 people

3,700 people

4,363 people

5,243 people

4,200 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Not all nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Based on Mexico City's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

	Frontend Engineer Intern @ Peakflo
	Designer Product @ Prelim
	Guidewire Project Manager @ Argo Group
	Product Manager Facility Management... @ Storable
	Guidewire Project Manager @ Argo Group
	Salesforce and Power BI Reporting A... @ Mom's Meals
	Lead Product Analyst Growth @ AllTrails
	Senior Software Developer Canada @ Smile Digital Health
	Senior Software Engineer Identity @ Alpaca
	Senior AI Engineer @ Awin
	Job 19056 Junior UI Designer Brazil @ CI&T

Help pick the best photos for Mexico City and improve this page's look by tappingclicking on them and the site saves your feedback Vote photos

1041pts

209pts

170pts

109pts

93pts

88pts

75pts

71pts

63pts

53pts

37pts

33pts

28pts

20pts

18pts

15pts

7pts

843pts

202pts

130pts

101pts

90pts

87pts

74pts

69pts

59pts

50pts

35pts

33pts

24pts

19pts

16pts

12pts

4pts

450pts

197pts

117pts

94pts

88pts

83pts

72pts

63pts

54pts

46pts

33pts

28pts

21pts

18pts

✈️21h

$1,526 / mo

🌇 Also went here608 people

4,800 remote workers in Mexico City now, of which 20+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Not all nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	3.18/5 (Rank #8) 2050 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍47 liked it 👎11 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Good
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $1,788 / mo
📡 Internet	🙂 Good: 43Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Good
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥶 A bit cold: 17°C63°F (feels 18°C64°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 55%
💨 Air quality (now)	😷 Unhealthy for some: 137 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	🌱 Good: 55 US AQI
👌 Safety	Bad
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Bad
🤝 Lack of racism*	Bad
🎓 Education level*	Mediocre
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Great
💰 Income level*	Very low: $704 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Bad
😤 People density	🧘‍♀️ Low density: 9k ppl/km² (1 per 11x11m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Good
🧳 Lost luggage*	Good
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Good
📶 Free WiFi in city	Bad
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Great
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Okay
👩 Female friendly	Okay
🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly	Great
🎅 Startup Score	Bad

🌍 Continent	Latin America
🚩 Country	Mexico
🗓️ Average trip length	16 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	43 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	☀️ 17°C 63°F + 😊 Comfy (55%) = feels 18°C 64°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👎😷 137 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎😷 56 US AQI
🔌 Power	115V 60Hz
🧔 Best neighborhood to stay	Roma
🚀 Upcoming neighborhood	Plateros
🚕 Best taxi app*	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 100 MXN in USD	USD 4.94
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	MXN 10,000 = USD 494
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless	💵 No, cash only (esp. for foreigners)
💻 Best coworking space	Urban Station
💻 Best alt. coworking space	Centraal
🚰 Tap water	🚫 No, not drinkable
♻️ Return rate	👍15% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	2,980,000 visitors
📸 Tourists now	57,112 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	8,900,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$8,444 / year
😤 Population density	🤨 busy: 11x11m (121m²) per person
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 45% 👱‍♀️ 55%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 51% 👱‍♀️ 49%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 76% 👱‍♀️ 24%
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Linio
🏠 Apartment listings	Airbnb
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Interjet
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Aeroméxico

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$1,788 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,100 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$2,815 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$804 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$1,156 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$1,123 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$617 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$54 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$37 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$254 / month
🍛 Dinner	$4
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$2
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$3
👩‍🏫 International school	$8,051 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$10 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$2 / trip