Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,790 in Burlington, IA versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Burlington, IA versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,695 in Burlington, IA versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Burlington, IA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, IA 30% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.54 $11.54

$12.11 MX$204

-4.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 $60.9

$52.2 MX$881

16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$10.90 MX$184

-15.78%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$4.05 MX$68.4

34.81%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$1.72 MX$28.95

13.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.38 MX$23.25

42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.47 MX$58.5

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.81 MX$98.1

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.85 MX$31.28

-58.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.22 MX$54.4

-19.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.18 $8.18

$2.09 MX$35.20

291.39%

Eggs

$3.04 $3.04

$2.91 MX$49.10

4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$12.49 MX$211

17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$10.11 MX$171

30.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 $15.06

$15.89 MX$268

-5.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.31 MX$56.0

52.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.13 MX$35.90

-21.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.19 MX$36.97

122.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.45 MX$41.31

103.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.19 MX$36.95

36.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.90 MX$32.15

81.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.62 MX$27.26

11.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.35 MX$22.78

82.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$5.43 MX$91.6

66.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.93 $11.93

$17.59 MX$297

-32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.07 MX$34.90

-18.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.75 MX$80.1

-13.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.34 MX$5.74

364.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 $20.47

$21.58 MX$364

-5.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.04 MX$34.44

45.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.58 MX$9.75

206.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$5.97 MX$101

393.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.62 MX$27.27

-44.44%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

0.40%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$26.7K MX$450.0K

-10.16%

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

$176 $176

$65.2 MX$1,101

170.06%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$29.87 MX$504

75.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 $50.3

$36.55 MX$617

37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.39 $41.39

$61.0 MX$1,030

-32.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$6.85 MX$116

76.93%

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

$716 $716

$453 MX$7,652

57.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$13.4K MX$225.7K

76.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.73 $43.73

$75.0 MX$1,265

-41.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.81 $30.81

$55.3 MX$933

-44.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$114 MX$1,917

-23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.35 $37.35

$123 MX$2,070

-69.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 $766

$1,134 MX$19.1K

-32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$712 MX$12.0K

-0.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 $1,197

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-53.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$1,311 MX$22.1K

-3.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,023 $1,023

$3,993 MX$67.4K

-74.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,049 $1,049

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 $4,289

$1,047 MX$17.7K

309.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.16

11.3

-45.49%

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

Last update for Burlington, IA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Burlington, IA and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 310% 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: $61.0 in Burlington, IA vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Burlington, 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 310% higher in Burlington, 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: $766 in Burlington, IA versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $716 in Burlington, IA versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,790 in Burlington, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Burlington, 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 $1,646 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Burlington, IA and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.