Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ames, IA and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Ames, IA $2,142
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Ames, IA $3,242
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Ames, IA $4,342
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$10.75 MX$199

68.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$50.3 MX$929

3.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.10 MX$205

9.73%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.68 MX$68.1

32.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.65 MX$30.42

57.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.30 MX$24.08

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.32 MX$61.3

21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$5.54 MX$102

22.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.77 MX$32.68

-49.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.05 MX$56.4

16.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.01 MX$37.20

62.19%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.77 MX$51.1

20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$11.91 MX$220

-15.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$9.33 MX$172

45.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$15.02 MX$278

26.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.08 MX$56.8

90.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.95 MX$35.97

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.03 MX$37.54

229.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.21 MX$40.92

136.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.02 MX$37.41

124.75%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.82 MX$33.67

123.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.52 MX$28.07

52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.28 MX$23.65

90.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$5.27 MX$97.4

147.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$16.12 MX$298

-0.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.95 MX$36.05

47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.25 MX$78.6

17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.31 MX$5.82

219.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$19.85 MX$367

79.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.00 MX$36.93

154.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.53 MX$9.86

218.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$5.62 MX$104

329.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.52 MX$28.07

-36.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

17.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K $25.1K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-0.42%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 $176

$62.5 MX$1,155

182.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.3 $54.3

$28.77 MX$532

88.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$34.45 MX$637

106.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$57.1 MX$1,055

20.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$24.81 MX$458

-20.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$6.67 MX$123

139.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

$431 MX$7,964

217.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

207.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$70.8 MX$1,308

-17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$51.8 MX$958

-13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$109 MX$2,011

-17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$112 MX$2,076

-6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$665 MX$12.3K

23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,227 MX$22.7K

22.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-31.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,977 MX$36.5K

10.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$975 MX$18.0K

269.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

11.3

-43.27%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 19.1% $157

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 26.1% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Mexico City

$126 8% 58.3% $176

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 30.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 15.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 30.2% $31

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 51.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 269% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

1 h behind Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ames, IA Mexico City 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ames, IA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 269% higher in Ames, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 79% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,567 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.