Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellingham, WA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,010 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $3,010
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,448 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $4,448
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $5,886 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $5,886
Mexico City $3,490

Bellingham, WA costs about 87% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bellingham, WA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Bellingham, WA by 121%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$10.62 MX$198

132.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$48.35 MX$901

109.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$10.35 MX$193

28.12%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$3.69 MX$68.8

60.98%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.67 MX$31.07

89.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.27 MX$23.59

72.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.19 MX$59.5

115.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$5.31 MX$98.9

29.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.72 MX$32.15

-34.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.04 MX$56.7

25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.94 MX$36.19

153.09%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.89 MX$53.8

71.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$10.97 MX$205

71.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$9.25 MX$172

101.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$15.13 MX$282

52.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.05 MX$56.8

68.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.94 MX$36.19

-2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.03 MX$37.75

162.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$2.31 MX$43.15

173.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.04 MX$37.94

76.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.80 MX$33.55

75.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.48 MX$27.58

72.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.27 MX$23.63

94.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.44 $12.44

$5.30 MX$98.9

134.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$16.10 MX$300

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.98 MX$36.97

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$4.25 MX$79.3

35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.31 MX$5.69

541.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 $30.51

$19.73 MX$368

54.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.84 MX$34.25

45.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.53 MX$9.94

220.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.27 $30.27

$5.30 MX$98.7

471.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.51 MX$28.16

-4.64%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.8K MX$405.5K

26.47%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.0K MX$447.1K

7.23%

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

$217 $217

$63.0 MX$1,174

244.73%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$27.39 MX$511

109.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$35.67 MX$665

127.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 $62.0

$58.9 MX$1,099

5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$23.64 MX$441

-37.31%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 $18.31

$6.40 MX$119

186.09%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$432 MX$8,045

160.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

177.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$68.2 MX$1,272

18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 $28.32

$53.1 MX$990

-46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$108 MX$2,009

0.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$117 MX$2,186

27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,113 MX$20.8K

53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$710 MX$13.2K

105.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,598 $2,598

$2,588 MX$48.2K

0.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$1,406 MX$26.2K

66.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,441 $4,441

$3,631 MX$67.7K

22.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 $3,925

$2,135 MX$39.8K

83.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$946 MX$17.6K

364.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

11.35

-41.15%

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

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 51.3% $747

Groceries & Markets

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 36.7% $185

Eating Out

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 47.5% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 64.6% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 5.6% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 27.3% $27

Getting Around

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 48.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,707 in Bellingham, WA versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bellingham, WA are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bellingham, WA versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $505 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

14:01 2:01 PM

1 h ahead of Bellingham, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,482

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Bellingham, WA Mexico City 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Bellingham, WA
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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

Bellingham, WA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellingham, WA costs about 87% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,515 per month in Bellingham, WA and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA.

Kindergarten costs $1,125 per month in Bellingham, WA and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Bellingham, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Bellingham, WA at $3,010. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellingham, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellingham, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.