Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, SC and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,193 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,193 in Columbia, SC versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Columbia, SC $2,193
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Columbia, SC versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Columbia, SC $3,366
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,538 in Columbia, SC versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Columbia, SC $4,538
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Columbia, SC is roughly 36% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, SC 61% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.80 $19.80

$10.62 MX$199

86.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$48.35 MX$906

26.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 $11.97

$10.35 MX$194

15.65%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$3.69 MX$69.2

46.88%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$1.67 MX$31.23

67.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.27 MX$23.71

71.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.19 MX$59.8

70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$5.31 MX$99.5

20.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.72 MX$32.32

-51.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.04 MX$57.0

-16.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.94 MX$36.38

132.99%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.89 MX$54.1

39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$10.97 MX$206

-4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$9.25 MX$173

20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 $15.89

$15.13 MX$283

5.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.05 MX$57.1

72.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.94 MX$36.38

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$2.03 MX$37.95

217.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.31 MX$43.38

167.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.04 MX$38.14

51.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.80 MX$33.73

142.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.48 MX$27.72

35.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.27 MX$23.75

40.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.40 $8.40

$5.30 MX$99.4

58.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.62 $15.62

$16.10 MX$302

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.98 MX$37.16

-7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.25 MX$79.7

-36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.31 MX$5.72

538.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.15 $40.15

$19.73 MX$370

103.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.84 MX$34.44

7.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.53 MX$10.00

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.89 $17.89

$5.30 MX$99.2

237.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.51 MX$28.31

-39.74%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$21.8K MX$407.7K

23.26%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$24.0K MX$449.5K

5.07%

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

$277 $277

$63.0 MX$1,180

340.23%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$27.39 MX$513

119.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$35.67 MX$668

78.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.47 $34.47

$58.9 MX$1,105

-41.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 $18.22

$23.64 MX$443

-22.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 $15.22

$6.40 MX$120

137.81%

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

$1,117 $1,117

$432 MX$8,088

158.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$11.4K MX$214.1K

100.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$68.2 MX$1,278

-23.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 $39.57

$53.1 MX$996

-25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 $82.2

$108 MX$2,020

-23.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$117 MX$2,198

-2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 $1,430

$1,113 MX$20.9K

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$832 $832

$710 MX$13.3K

17.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,198 $3,198

$2,588 MX$48.5K

23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$1,406 MX$26.3K

18.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,313 $2,313

$3,631 MX$68.0K

-36.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,668 $1,668

$2,135 MX$40.0K

-21.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,240 $3,240

$946 MX$17.7K

242.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

11.35

-42.20%

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

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, SC

$832 37.9%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 14.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, SC

$401 18.3%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 68.6% $275

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, SC

$389 17.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 17.8% $69

Eating Out

Columbia, SC

$319 14.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 37.8% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, SC

$130 5.9%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 20.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, SC

$65 3%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 10.5% $6.8

Getting Around

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 56.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,430 in Columbia, SC and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, SC pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Columbia, SC vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h behind Columbia, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Columbia, SC Mexico City 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, SC
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

Columbia, SC vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Columbia, SC is about 3.4 times higher, 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: $1,430 in Columbia, SC versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Columbia, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $61 in Columbia, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Columbia, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Columbia, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.