Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davis, CA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,316 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in Davis, CA
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Davis, CA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,316

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,316 per month in Davis, CA vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,316
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,712 per month in Davis, CA vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Davis, CA $4,712
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $6,107 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,107
Mexico City $3,490

Davis, CA costs about 106% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Davis, CA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 144%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 $22.69

$10.62 MX$198

113.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$48.35 MX$901

105.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$10.35 MX$193

24.35%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$3.69 MX$68.8

36.04%

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

$3.57 $3.57

$1.67 MX$31.07

113.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.27 MX$23.59

85.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.19 MX$59.5

152.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$5.31 MX$98.9

53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.72 MX$32.15

-22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.04 MX$56.7

25.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.94 MX$36.19

116.49%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$2.89 MX$53.8

76.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$10.97 MX$205

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$9.25 MX$172

69.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 $17.26

$15.13 MX$282

14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.05 MX$56.8

68.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.94 MX$36.19

-14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.03 MX$37.75

113.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.31 MX$43.15

106.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.04 MX$37.94

35.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.80 MX$33.55

71.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.48 MX$27.58

54.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.27 MX$23.63

74.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 $10.67

$5.30 MX$98.9

101.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 $16.12

$16.10 MX$300

0.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.98 MX$36.97

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.25 MX$79.3

-19.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.31 MX$5.69

377.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 $37.27

$19.73 MX$368

88.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.84 MX$34.25

84.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.53 MX$9.94

186.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 $29.75

$5.30 MX$98.7

461.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.51 MX$28.16

-7.95%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$21.8K MX$405.5K

27.11%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$24.0K MX$447.1K

4.44%

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

$289 $289

$63.0 MX$1,174

359.29%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$27.39 MX$511

113.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$35.67 MX$665

117.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.16 $43.16

$58.9 MX$1,099

-26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$6.40 MX$119

140.63%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$432 MX$8,045

222.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

116.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$68.2 MX$1,272

-20.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 $41.13

$53.1 MX$990

-22.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 $94.9

$108 MX$2,009

-12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$117 MX$2,186

-1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 $1,743

$1,113 MX$20.8K

56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$710 MX$13.2K

158.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,453 $3,453

$2,588 MX$48.2K

33.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$1,406 MX$26.2K

102.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,834 $2,834

$3,631 MX$67.7K

-21.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,209 $4,209

$2,135 MX$39.8K

97.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,088 $5,088

$946 MX$17.6K

437.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.35

-46.26%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davis, CA

$1.8K 55.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 61.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$429 12.9%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 25.5% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$425 12.8%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 70.4% $299

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.9%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 44.9% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$137 4.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 13.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$74 2.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 3% $2.2

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$54 1.6%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 53% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,743 in Davis, CA 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 Davis, CA are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Davis, CA versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

1 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Davis, CA Mexico City 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Davis, CA
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

Davis, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Davis, CA is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,975 per month in Davis, CA 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 $1,743 in Davis, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,316 in Davis, CA and $1,608 in Mexico City. That makes Mexico City about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Davis, CA at $3,316. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Davis, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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