Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,767 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,767

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amherst, MA 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 Amherst, MA and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Amherst, MA versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Amherst, MA $2,767
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Amherst, MA versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Amherst, MA $4,275
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,783 in Amherst, MA versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Amherst, MA $5,783
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 72% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 103% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$10.62 MX$199

88.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 $70.8

$48.35 MX$906

46.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 $8.90

$10.35 MX$194

-14.01%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$3.69 MX$69.2

29.81%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.67 MX$31.23

61.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.27 MX$23.71

62.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.19 MX$59.8

87.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.41 $10.41

$5.31 MX$99.5

96.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.72 MX$32.32

-38.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.04 MX$57.0

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$1.94 MX$36.38

260.82%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.89 MX$54.1

62.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$10.97 MX$206

50.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$9.25 MX$173

70.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$15.13 MX$283

20.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.05 MX$57.1

54.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.94 MX$36.38

-25.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.03 MX$37.95

60.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.31 MX$43.38

99.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.04 MX$38.14

60.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.80 MX$33.73

106.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.48 MX$27.72

55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.27 MX$23.75

59.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 $10.69

$5.30 MX$99.4

101.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$16.10 MX$302

-24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.98 MX$37.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.25 MX$79.7

-7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$0.31 MX$5.72

316.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.34 $28.34

$19.73 MX$370

43.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.84 MX$34.44

93.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.53 MX$10.00

167.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$5.30 MX$99.2

461.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.51 MX$28.31

-34.44%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.8K MX$407.7K

26.55%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$24.0K MX$449.5K

9.92%

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

$213 $213

$63.0 MX$1,180

238.11%

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

$56.5 $56.5

$27.39 MX$513

106.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$35.67 MX$668

146.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 $121

$58.9 MX$1,105

105.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 $6.90

$23.64 MX$443

-70.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 $10.65

$6.40 MX$120

66.41%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$432 MX$8,088

239.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K $17.2K

$11.4K MX$214.1K

50.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.22 $45.22

$68.2 MX$1,278

-33.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$53.1 MX$996

-24.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 $91.6

$108 MX$2,020

-15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$117 MX$2,198

-6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$1,113 MX$20.9K

63.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$710 MX$13.3K

89.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,829 $3,829

$2,588 MX$48.5K

47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$1,406 MX$26.3K

92.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,969 $3,969

$3,631 MX$68.0K

9.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,035 $4,035

$2,135 MX$40.0K

89.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,660 $4,660

$946 MX$17.7K

392.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.35

-46.26%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 47.2% $636

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$434 15.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 26.3% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$357 12.9%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 64.7% $231

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$314 11.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 36.8% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$143 5.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 49.7% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$129 4.7%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 20.9% $27

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$44 1.6%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 42.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,821 in Amherst, MA and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Amherst, MA vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

1 h behind Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Amherst, MA Mexico City 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
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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

Amherst, MA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 42% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Amherst, MA is about 4.9 times higher, 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: $1,821 in Amherst, MA versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,466 in Amherst, MA versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.