Cost of Living Comparison Between College Station, TX and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between College Station, TX and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,086 in College Station, TX versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,246 in College Station, TX versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in College Station, TX versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in College Station, TX is roughly 43% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: College Station, TX 56% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.83 $12.83

$13.07 MX$229

-1.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$53.8 MX$943

22.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 $8.53

$9.68 MX$170

-11.88%

Cappuccino

$4.77 $4.77

$3.74 MX$65.6

27.54%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$1.62 MX$28.34

73.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.16 MX$20.37

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.23 MX$56.6

41.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.74 MX$83.1

28.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.65 MX$28.89

-41.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.75 MX$48.30

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.87 MX$32.87

122.99%

Eggs

$2.64 $2.64

$2.50 MX$43.86

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$10.20 MX$179

9.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$8.25 MX$145

3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 $13.64

$11.82 MX$207

15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$3.01 MX$52.8

107.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.81 MX$31.77

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.00 MX$35.07

198.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.00 MX$35.00

103.50%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.08 MX$36.56

92.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.27 MX$39.85

40.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.46 MX$25.55

43.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.08 MX$18.88

73.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.35 MX$76.3

79.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$16.99 MX$298

-18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.73 MX$30.40

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.58 MX$62.7

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.39 MX$6.79

151.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 $19.66

$18.69 MX$328

5.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 $7.49

$1.33 MX$23.25

463.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.77 $3.77

$0.28 MX$4.91

1246.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 $28.86

$5.25 MX$92.1

449.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.34 MX$23.44

-45.52%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

81.93%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

8.20%

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

$185 $185

$40.69 MX$714

354.34%

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

$45.07 $45.07

$26.87 MX$471

67.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$30.51 MX$535

110.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.04 $36.04

$52.8 MX$926

-31.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 $17.66

$26.65 MX$467

-33.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 $11.44

$6.51 MX$114

75.73%

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

$1,154 $1,154

$428 MX$7,508

169.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K $17.9K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

70.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.70 $39.70

$57.3 MX$1,004

-30.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.13 $38.13

$45.50 MX$798

-16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$104 MX$1,825

-15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$108 MX$1,891

40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$1,003 MX$17.6K

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 $966

$623 MX$10.9K

55.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 $1,861

$1,218 MX$21.4K

52.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,188 $2,188

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-43.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,145 $2,145

$2,033 MX$35.7K

5.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 $4,289

$1,038 MX$18.2K

313.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

11.34

-40.83%

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

Last update for College Station, TX: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,244 in College Station, TX and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

College Station, TX pays 313% 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: $66.0 in College Station, TX vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $292 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

College Station, TX vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in College Station, TX. 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 313% higher in College Station, TX, 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: $1,244 in College Station, TX versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 5% less than in College Station, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,154 in College Station, TX versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,086 in College Station, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in College Station, TX. 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 $1,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in College Station, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.