The average rent for an apartment in Mexico City reached 936 dollars a month, about 15,800 pesos, according to the Working Abroad Index 2026 from the European neobank bunq, published on September 1, 2026. The figure exceeds that of Budapest (799 dollars), Vilnius (762), Athens (684) and Bucharest (587), capitals that for years were read as more expensive than the Mexican one.
The study compares the cost of living across 74 cities and breaks down housing, food, transport and services. The CEO reported on September 13 that total monthly spending in the capital amounts to 1,214 euros, close to 23,937 pesos, above Budapest (1,182 euros) and Athens (1,153). Infobae México records the same measurement in dollars: 23,643 pesos a month, only 186 pesos below Seoul. The data matters twice over for the Mexican community: for those who rent in the country and for those who migrated north and support family members here, because housing is today the item that puts the most pressure on the budgets of households in the capital.
The index breakdown places housing above 65% of monthly spending, with an estimated cost of 812 euros, about 16,011 pesos; in high-demand areas the price can be up to five times higher. Food adds around 5,514 pesos a month. The contrast lies in transport: 12.70 dollars a month, the third-lowest figure among the 74 cities, behind only Luxembourg, where it is free, and Ho Chi Minh. Joe Wilson, bunq's director of evangelization, said that residents of the capital "can save hundreds a month simply thanks to public transport", while in the European cities covered by the index spending on mobility is, on average, six times higher.
For the rest of the country the index offers a contrast: San Miguel de Allende records 900 dollars in average rent, Oaxaca 629 and Mérida 599. bunq publishes the study every year, and the next edition will measure whether housing in the capital keeps up the pace or stabilizes.
This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.