Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloomington, IL and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,280 in Bloomington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bloomington, IL, United States
Mexico City, Mexico
Bloomington, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,280
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,280 per month in Bloomington, IL vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IL $2,280
  • Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $3,272 per month in Bloomington, IL vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IL $3,272
  • Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $4,264 per month in Bloomington, IL vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Bloomington, IL $4,264
  • Mexico City $3,490

Bloomington, IL costs about 42% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bloomington, IL and Mexico City sit above the global median – Bloomington, IL by 68%, Mexico City by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.17 $18.17
$10.62 MX$200
71.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.3 $78.3
$48.35 MX$909
61.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.20 $12.20
$10.35 MX$194
17.87%
Cappuccino
$4.98 $4.98
$3.69 MX$69.4
34.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.67 MX$31.32
41.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.27 MX$23.78
32.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.60 $5.60
$3.19 MX$60.0
75.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.89 $6.89
$5.31 MX$99.7
29.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.72 MX$32.41
-36.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 $2.44
$3.04 MX$57.1
-19.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.35 $4.35
$1.94 MX$36.48
124.23%
Eggs
$3.62 $3.62
$2.89 MX$54.3
25.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.14 $13.14
$10.97 MX$206
19.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 $7.86
$9.25 MX$174
-15.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.51 $17.51
$15.13 MX$284
15.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.68 $3.68
$3.05 MX$57.3
20.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.94 MX$36.48
-18.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$2.03 MX$38.06
168.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.47 $3.47
$2.31 MX$43.50
50.22%
Potato (1kg)
$3.41 $3.41
$2.04 MX$38.25
67.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 $2.75
$1.80 MX$33.83
52.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.68 $2.68
$1.48 MX$27.80
81.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.27 MX$23.82
113.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.07 $8.07
$5.30 MX$99.7
52.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.21 $15.21
$16.10 MX$303
-5.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.98 MX$37.27
1.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 $3.23
$4.25 MX$79.9
-24.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.27 $1.27
$0.31 MX$5.73
309.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.17 $40.17
$19.73 MX$371
103.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 $3.42
$1.84 MX$34.53
85.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.53 MX$10.03
188.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.42 $39.42
$5.30 MX$99.5
643.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.51 MX$28.39
-32.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$21.8K MX$408.8K
27.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$24.0K MX$450.8K
7.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 $203
$63.0 MX$1,184
223.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.9 $70.9
$27.39 MX$515
158.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.5 $75.5
$35.67 MX$670
111.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.79 $44.79
$58.9 MX$1,108
-24.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.64 MX$444
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.83 $9.83
$6.40 MX$120
53.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,429 $1,429
$432 MX$8,111
231.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.1K $24.1K
$11.4K MX$214.7K
110.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.3 $58.3
$68.2 MX$1,282
-14.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.48 $39.48
$53.1 MX$999
-25.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 $83.8
$108 MX$2,026
-22.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$117 MX$2,204
0.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$905 $905
$1,113 MX$20.9K
-18.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 $1,004
$710 MX$13.4K
41.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,456 $1,456
$2,588 MX$48.6K
-43.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,461 $1,461
$1,406 MX$26.4K
3.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,572 $1,572
$3,631 MX$68.2K
-56.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,257 $1,257
$2,135 MX$40.1K
-41.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bloomington, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,622 $4,622
$946 MX$17.8K
388.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
11.35
-40.79%

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

Last update for Bloomington, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bloomington, IL
$1K
Mexico City
$710 29.2% $293
Groceries & Markets
Bloomington, IL
$371
Mexico City
$320 14% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bloomington, IL
$350
Mexico City
$126 64% $224
Eating Out
Bloomington, IL
$300
Mexico City
$199 33.7% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Bloomington, IL
$135
Mexico City
$156 15.8% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Bloomington, IL
$64
Mexico City
$72 11.3% $7.3
Getting Around
Bloomington, IL
$56
Mexico City
$25 54.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Bloomington, IL 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 Bloomington, IL are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Bloomington, IL versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bloomington, IL
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
02:12 2:12 AM
02:12 2:12 AM
Same time as Bloomington, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,247
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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 = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bloomington, IL Mexico City 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bloomington, IL
  • 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
Bloomington, IL vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bloomington, IL or Mexico City?
Bloomington, IL costs about 42% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bloomington, IL and in Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,421 per month in Bloomington, IL and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bloomington, IL or Mexico City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloomington, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $905 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
How do childcare costs compare in Bloomington, IL and in Mexico City?
Kindergarten costs $1,429 per month in Bloomington, IL and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Bloomington, IL or in Mexico City?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Bloomington, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Bloomington, IL or in Mexico City?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,280 in Bloomington, IL and $1,608 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bloomington, IL or Mexico City?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $2,280 in Bloomington, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Bloomington, IL or to Mexico City?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bloomington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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