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City comparison

Mexico City vs Cali

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    ≈ about equal≈ $854–1,470MX$15,386–26,435 and ≈ $434–1,980COP 1,425k – 6.5M per month

  • Family budget

    in Cali cheaper — −43%

  • Internet

    in Cali cheaper — −58%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    almost equal
    Mexico City≈ $854–1,470MX$15,386–26,435
    Cali≈ $434–1,980COP 1,425k – 6.5M
  • Family groceries

    per month
    Mexico City≈ $569MX$10,250
    Cali≈ $301COP 989,488
    cheaper by 47%
  • Family budget

    per month
    Mexico City≈ $1,090MX$19,621
    Cali≈ $623COP 2,046,552
    cheaper by 43%
  • Internet

    per month
    Mexico City≈ $22–78MX$389–1,399
    Cali≈ $19–23COP 60,900–75,900
    cheaper by 58%
  • Winter

    average
    Mexico City6–21 °C6–21 °C
    Cali19–29 °C19–29 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Mexico City816 mm816 mm
    Cali1,485 mm1,485 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    almost equal
    Mexico City≈ $190kMX$3.42M
    Cali≈ $131–243kCOP 430–800M

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Housing

Mexico City

Buying: a typical two-bedroom

A typical 65 m² two-bedroom in Mexico City costs 3.42 million pesos, a 100 m² three-bedroom 4.64 million. By alcaldía, a square metre runs from 37.8k (Coyoacán) to 68.5k (Polanco). October 2025.

SpecialistInmuebles24: Mexico City sales and rental index, October 2025 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Rent for a two-bedroom by alcaldía

Two-bedroom: Cuauhtémoc (Roma, Condesa) 26.4k pesos, Miguel Hidalgo (Polanco) 26.4k, Benito Juárez (Del Valle, Narvarte) 19.4k, Coyoacán 15.4k. Data from October 2025.

SpecialistInmuebles24: Mexico City sales and rental index, October 2025 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Rent by colonia

Two-bedroom, agency estimates: Condesa 18–28k pesos, Roma 16–25, Polanco 25–45, Del Valle 12–20, Narvarte 10–16, Coyoacán 11–18. The estimate is approximate.

SpecialistHolaNeo: best neighborhoods for renting in Mexico City, 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Price per metre: Del Valle and Narvarte

Ready-built apartments in Del Valle are about 52.8k pesos per m², in Narvarte about 53.2k. One portal lists new builds in Del Valle Centro at 91k. Agency surveys.

SpecialistHome del Valle: prices per square meter in Del Valle, September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about housing in Mexico City →

Cali

Three-bedroom rent by stratum

A three-bedroom by listings: in stratum 4 in the south the median is 1.4 million pesos a month (about 430 dollars, 65 m²), in stratum 6 it is 6.5 million (about 1,940 dollars, 210 m²).

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying an apartment

A resale three-bedroom by listings: from 155 million to 1.5 billion pesos, half within 430-800 million. New three-bedroom units sell from 220 million to 1.6 billion.

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Cali →

Money and prices

Mexico City

Groceries for a family

The INEGI food basket for cities is 2,562.58 pesos per person a month, 10,250 for a family of four (August 2026). It is a minimum of food, not an actual receipt.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 30 Sep 2026

Family budget per month

The INEGI poverty line for cities is 4,905.33 pesos per person, 19,621 a month for a family of four (August 2026). It is a lower threshold without rent, not a real budget.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about money and prices in Mexico City →

Cali

Groceries for a family

The DANE minimum food basket for Cali is 247,372 pesos per person a month, about 989 thousand (296 dollars) for a family of four. Figures for 2025.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026

Family budget per month

A family of four in Cali counts as poor with income below 2.05 million pesos a month, about 610 dollars (2025). Average income is 1.58 million per person.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Cali →

Family and kids

Mexico City

Private schools and kindergartens

A private school in Mexico City is most often 4,000–15,000 pesos a month, international ones from 25,000. One school as an example: kindergarten 3,620, primary 4,110 a month. Plus an entry fee.

SpecialistMicole: how much a private school costs in Mexico City · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about family and kids in Mexico City →

Cali

Nothing yet

Healthcare

Mexico City

Healthcare: IMSS insurance

Voluntary IMSS insurance costs 8,900–21,300 pesos a year per person (742 to 1,775 a month). These are 2025 rates; for 2026 the press reports 9,300–22,150.

OfficialIMSS: Seguro de Salud para la Familia, voluntary insurance · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about healthcare in Mexico City →

Cali

The country's best hospital

Fundación Valle del Lili in Cali is Colombia's best hospital in the Newsweek ranking for the fifth year in a row; 126th in the world list of 2026 out of 2,530 assessed.

SpecialistConsultorSalud: which Colombian hospitals are in the World's Best Hospitals 2026 ranking · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in Cali →

Transport

Mexico City

Getting around the city

Metro 5 pesos, Metrobús 6, the Metrobús airport line 30. The authorities confirmed that in 2026 the metro stays at 5. Minibuses were allowed to raise their fare by 1.5 pesos in 2025.

OfficialMexico City portal: how to ride the Metro and Metrobús, fares · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about transport in Mexico City →

Cali

Bonilla Aragón Airport

In 2025 about 6.4 million passengers passed through Cali airport, 1.2 million of them international. Since September 2025 it has been run by the state agency Aerocivil.

OfficialAerocivil, open data: commercial air traffic by origin-destination, 2020-2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Cali →

Climate

Mexico City

Winter

January, the coldest month: on average 5.8 degrees at night, 21.2 in the day. No snow, but the nights are cold, and homes usually have no heating.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mexico City · checked 30 Sep 2026

Rainfall and seasonality

About 816 mm a year, almost all of it from June to September (135–175 mm a month). From November to March it is nearly dry: 4–12 mm a month. Series 1951–1980.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mexico City · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about climate in Mexico City →

Cali

Warm all year round

There is no winter: in the coolest month, November, it averages 19 degrees at night and 28.8 during the day, in August 18.5 and 30.9. The difference between months is about 2 degrees.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Precipitation and seasonality

In the city about 1,485 mm a year and 166 rainy days. Two wet seasons, March-May and October-November; driest in July-August.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Cali →

Nature

Mexico City

Air quality

In 2023 there were 120 clean days out of 365 (all substances within the norm); the other 245 had poor air. Worst from March to June. The 2025 dry season had five ozone alerts.

OfficialSEDEMA: annual air quality report for Mexico City for 2023 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about nature in Mexico City →

Cali

Nothing yet

Safety

Mexico City

Crime by alcaldía

Serious crimes per 100k residents, 2025: Cuauhtémoc 616, Miguel Hidalgo 324, Benito Juárez 311, Coyoacán 295. City-wide 274, nationwide 221.

SpecialistConsejo Ciudadano CDMX: high-impact crimes by alcaldía, 2025 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Earthquakes and ground

Roma, Condesa and Centro stand on lake-bed ground: shaking there can be up to 50 times stronger. The 2017 earthquake (magnitude 7.1): 228 dead according to Expansión.

OfficialSSN: report on the earthquake of 19 September 2017, Puebla-Morelos, magnitude 7.1 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about safety in Mexico City →

Cali

Homicides

According to Ministry of Defense open data, Cali had 1,068 homicides in 2025 against 950 in 2024. In January-August 2026 there were 766, 17% more than in the same period of 2025.

OfficialColombian Ministry of Defense, open data: homicides by municipality (HOMICIDIO) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Cali →

Internet and phone

Mexico City

Internet per month

From 389 pesos for 120 Mbps to 1399 for a gigabit at Telmex, taxes included. Totalplay is 390 for 100 Mbps. The plan includes calls within Mexico, the US and Canada.

SpecialistTelmex: Infinitum home packages, valid until 30 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Internet speed

Telmex sells home internet from 120 to 1000 Mbps. Up to 350 Mbps download and upload are the same; on the higher plans upload is lower. Totalplay starts at 100 Mbps.

SpecialistTelmex: Infinitum home packages, valid until 30 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Mexico City →

Cali

Home internet

Tigo sells home internet at 200-500 Mbit/s for 60,900-75,900 pesos a month (strata 1-3, VAT included). On cable the upload is only 12-15 Mbit/s, on fibre 100-250.

SpecialistTigo: terms of home plans, internet plan specifications · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Cali →

Services

Mexico City

LP gas: price cap

Price cap for liquefied LP gas (CNE) in Mexico City for 27.09–3.10.2026: 20.10 pesos per kg, 10.85 per litre. A 20 kg cylinder at the cap is about 402 pesos.

OfficialComisión Nacional de Energía: maximum LP gas prices from 27 September to 3 October 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Electricity: CFE tariff

Tariff 1 for June 2026: 1.125 pesos per kWh up to 75 kWh, 1.369 for the next 65, then 4.004. Above 140 kWh the price almost quadruples. Plus 16% VAT.

SpecialistUnoTV: CFE home tariffs for June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Water: the Cutzamala system

The Cutzamala system supplies about a quarter of the valley's water. As of 23 September 2026 it is 86% full; in April it was 52%. The shortfall by city district has not been established.

SpecialistExpansión: Cutzamala System fill level as of 17 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026

Water: SACMEX tariff

The water bill comes once every two months, the price per m³ rises in steps and depends on the neighbourhood's development index: a subsidy of up to 91% in poor areas, about 60% in rich ones. We did not find the price in pesos.

SpecialistGrupo Animal: water tariffs and payment in Mexico City, how the tariff works under the Código Fiscal · checked 30 Sep 2026

Everything about services in Mexico City →

Cali

Electricity from EMCALI

EMCALI has one of the cheapest electricity prices in the country: 868.6 pesos per kWh for stratum 4 as of June 2026. 300 kWh a month is about 261 thousand pesos (78 dollars).

SpecialistValora Analitik: the most expensive electricity tariffs for stratum 4 in Colombia · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about services in Cali →

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