Mérida, Yucatán — The capital is among the most affordable large cities in the Americas, according to a recently updated study.
Numbeo.com compares major cities around the world for everyday costs. Mérida ranked 199 out of 203 selected major cities in affordability.
Compared with other major cities in Mexico, Mérida is cheaper than Monterrey, Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Hermosillo and Queretaro, but is more expensive — by a hair — than Puebla and Puerto Vallarta. The index compares restaurant, retail, supermarket, rental and utility prices along with average salaries.
Numbeo is the largest database of data contributed by users about cities and countries. It provides current information on the conditions of cities, including the cost of living, housing indicators, medical care, traffic, crime and pollution.
A family of four people requires 25,788.32 pesos (US$1,379) per month to live, while a single person needs 7,328.31 pesos, not counting rent, Numbeo calculates.
For housing, Mérida is 11.40 percent more affordable than Mexico City, they also conclude.
Some more average prices in Mérida, collected in the last 18 months:
- Meal for two at a mid-range restaurant, three courses: 350 pesos/US$18.70
- Cappuccino (regular): 34.17 pesos/US$1.80
- Milk (regular), (1 gallon): 58.04 pesos/US$3.10
- Loaf of fresh white bread: 23.22 pesos/US$1.24
- Rice (white), (1 lb.): 7.44 pesos/US$0.40
- Dozen eggs (regular): 26 pesos/US$1.39
Nationally, Monterrey is ranked as the most expensive. Across Latin America, the most expensive city is Montevideo, Uruguay.
Hamilton, Bermuda is the most expensive spot in the world, the researchers said.
