Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Mexico City $3,490

Chicago, IL costs about 89% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Mexico City sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$10.62 MX$198

95.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$48.35 MX$900

84.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.35 MX$193

27.44%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.69 MX$68.7

53.39%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.67 MX$31.03

58.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.27 MX$23.56

79.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.19 MX$59.4

115.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.31 MX$98.8

66.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.72 MX$32.11

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 MX$56.6

22.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.94 MX$36.14

177.84%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.89 MX$53.8

64.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.97 MX$204

26.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.25 MX$172

55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.13 MX$282

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.05 MX$56.8

71.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.94 MX$36.14

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.03 MX$37.70

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.31 MX$43.09

115.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.04 MX$37.88

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.80 MX$33.51

47.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.48 MX$27.54

51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.27 MX$23.60

146.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$5.30 MX$98.7

160.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.10 MX$300

-7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.98 MX$36.92

28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.25 MX$79.2

-17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.31 MX$5.68

683.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$19.73 MX$367

272.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.84 MX$34.21

72.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.53 MX$9.93

162.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$5.30 MX$98.6

372.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.51 MX$28.12

-20.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$21.8K MX$405.0K

61.07%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.0K MX$446.5K

11.21%

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

$194 $194

$63.0 MX$1,172

208.70%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$27.39 MX$510

153.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$35.67 MX$664

72.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$58.9 MX$1,097

-18.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$23.64 MX$440

15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$6.40 MX$119

178.28%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$432 MX$8,035

315.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$11.4K MX$212.7K

179.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$68.2 MX$1,270

-1.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$53.1 MX$989

-1.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$108 MX$2,006

-5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$117 MX$2,183

22.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,113 MX$20.7K

126.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$710 MX$13.2K

122.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,588 MX$48.2K

83.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,406 MX$26.2K

91.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,631 MX$67.6K

15.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,135 MX$39.7K

29.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$946 MX$17.6K

421.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

11.35

-40.00%

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

Last update for Chicago, 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

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 55% $868

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 28.6% $128

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 42.4% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 61.3% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 4.9% $8.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 72.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 14.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, 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 Chicago, IL are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

03:24 3:24 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 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 = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Mexico City 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, 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

Chicago, IL vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,608 in Mexico City – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL 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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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