Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cancun and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,428 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $44,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
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Cancun Living Index
245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,428

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cancun and in New York, NY

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

A single person spends $1,428 per month in Cancun vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cancun $1,428
New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $2,290 per month in Cancun vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cancun $2,290
New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $3,152 per month in Cancun vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cancun $3,152
New York, NY $9,767

Cancun is about 72% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cancun and New York, NY sit above the global median – Cancun by 7%, New York, NY by 284%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 MX$203

$26.46 $26.46

-57.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 MX$993

$119 $119

-54.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 MX$206

$14.43 $14.43

-21.69%

Cappuccino

$3.86 MX$70.3

$6.55 $6.55

-41.07%

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

$1.38 MX$25.03

$3.84 $3.84

-64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.62

$3.00 $3.00

-73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 MX$56.0

$8.27 $8.27

-62.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$79.1

$10.05 $10.05

-56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$29.66

$1.31 $1.31

24.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$49.35

$4.90 $4.90

-44.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 MX$29.99

$7.16 $7.16

-76.96%

Eggs

$2.72 MX$49.55

$5.92 $5.92

-54.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MX$181

$19.06 $19.06

-47.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.80 MX$160

$17.38 $17.38

-49.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 MX$252

$18.94 $18.94

-26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$51.5

$6.96 $6.96

-59.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.38

$2.08 $2.08

-19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 MX$58.2

$6.10 $6.10

-47.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.37

$6.95 $6.95

-68.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$36.93

$3.98 $3.98

-48.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$34.63

$4.44 $4.44

-57.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$20.92

$2.81 $2.81

-59.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.26

$2.51 $2.51

-51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MX$82.0

$19.27 $19.27

-76.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 MX$182

$19.67 $19.67

-49.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$28.34

$3.08 $3.08

-49.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MX$49.67

$3.68 $3.68

-25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.71

$3.02 $3.02

-78.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.64 MX$521

$140 $140

-79.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MX$81.8

$3.07 $3.07

46.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 MX$54.2

$2.13 $2.13

39.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.62 MX$248

$41.21 $41.21

-66.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.58

$1.11 $1.11

36.94%

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

$21.0K MX$382.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-39.96%

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

$24.5K MX$445.5K

$25.4K $25.4K

-3.56%

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

$172 MX$3,137

$217 $217

-20.71%

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

$23.50 MX$427

$74.0 $74.0

-68.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.97 MX$691

$72.5 $72.5

-47.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.57 MX$611

$120 $120

-72.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.50 MX$246

$66.9 $66.9

-79.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 MX$133

$22.32 $22.32

-67.16%

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

$205 MX$3,725

$3,425 $3,425

-94.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,468 MX$99.5K

$61.2K $61.2K

-91.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 MX$998

$76.3 $76.3

-28.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 MX$996

$55.5 $55.5

-1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MX$1,399

$119 $119

-35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 MX$1,716

$131 $131

-27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 MX$12.2K

$4,506 $4,506

-85.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MX$8,440

$3,155 $3,155

-85.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 MX$25.0K

$8,817 $8,817

-84.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$19.6K

$5,532 $5,532

-80.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,281 MX$23.3K

$19.4K $19.4K

-93.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,985 MX$36.1K

$6,754 $6,754

-70.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$819 MX$14.9K

$5,290 $5,290

-84.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.82

67.89%

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

Last update for Cancun: October 4, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cancun

$464 32.9%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 580% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

Cancun

$287 20.3%

New York, NY

$546 11% 90.5% $259

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cancun

$234 16.6%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 55.6% $130

Eating Out

Cancun

$202 14.3%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 109% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Cancun

$126 9%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 35.8% $45

Getting Around

Cancun

$51 3.6%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 227% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Cancun

$48 3.4%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 242% $117

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $672 in Cancun versus $4,506 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 546% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Cancun versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $546 – making Cancun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cancun

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

1 h ahead of Cancun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

888,797

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cancun New York, NY 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cancun
New York, NY

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

Cancun vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,428 in Cancun, $5,142 in New York, NY – roughly 260% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,141 per month in Cancun and $7,714 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cancun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $205 per month in Cancun and $3,425 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 91% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,428, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,428 in Cancun to $5,142 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cancun. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.