Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, IL and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Decatur, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

Decatur, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$1,725
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,725 per month in Decatur, IL vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Decatur, IL $1,725
  • Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $2,654 per month in Decatur, IL vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Decatur, IL $2,654
  • Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $3,582 per month in Decatur, IL vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Decatur, IL $3,582
  • Mexico City $3,333

Decatur, IL costs about 10% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Decatur, IL and Mexico City sit above the global median – Decatur, IL by 28%, Mexico City by 16%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.96 $19.96
$10.75 MX$199
85.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 $83.4
$50.3 MX$929
66.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.74 $8.74
$11.10 MX$205
-21.26%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$3.68 MX$68.1
47.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.65 MX$30.42
35.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.30 MX$24.08
27.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 $5.02
$3.32 MX$61.3
51.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$5.54 MX$102
10.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.77 MX$32.68
-24.29%
White Bread (500g)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.05 MX$56.4
0.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.01 MX$37.20
1.00%
Eggs
$4.74 $4.74
$2.77 MX$51.1
71.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.87 $13.87
$11.91 MX$220
16.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.86 $14.86
$9.33 MX$172
59.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$15.02 MX$278
-12.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.31 $4.31
$3.08 MX$56.8
39.94%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.95 MX$35.97
3.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.03 $4.03
$2.03 MX$37.54
98.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 $3.27
$2.21 MX$40.92
47.96%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 $0.91
$2.02 MX$37.41
-54.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.82 MX$33.67
-40.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.52 MX$28.07
-2.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.28 MX$23.65
139.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.87 $15.87
$5.27 MX$97.4
201.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.81 $14.81
$16.12 MX$298
-8.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.95 MX$36.05
12.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$4.25 MX$78.6
-53.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.31 MX$5.82
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.85 MX$367
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 $3.17
$2.00 MX$36.93
58.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$0.53 MX$9.86
167.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.28 $25.28
$5.62 MX$104
349.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.52 MX$28.07
-23.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K $37.0K
$21.0K MX$388.7K
75.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$25.2K MX$465.3K
1.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.6 $85.6
$62.5 MX$1,155
37.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.2 $67.2
$28.77 MX$532
133.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.2 $60.2
$34.45 MX$637
74.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.7 $74.7
$57.1 MX$1,055
30.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.81 MX$458
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.82 $11.82
$6.67 MX$123
77.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,525 $1,525
$431 MX$7,964
253.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.0K $32.0K
$11.7K MX$216.9K
172.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.1 $68.1
$70.8 MX$1,308
-3.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 $51.5
$51.8 MX$958
-0.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$109 MX$2,011
-6.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 $144
$112 MX$2,076
28.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$867 $867
$1,051 MX$19.4K
-17.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 $551
$665 MX$12.3K
-17.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$993 $993
$2,346 MX$43.3K
-57.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$805 $805
$1,227 MX$22.7K
-34.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$940 $940
$3,554 MX$65.7K
-73.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$941 $941
$1,977 MX$36.5K
-52.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Decatur, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,599 $4,599
$975 MX$18.0K
371.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.77
11.3
-40.09%

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

Last update for Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Decatur, IL
$551
Mexico City
$665 20.7% $114
Groceries & Markets
Decatur, IL
$385
Mexico City
$323 16.1% $62
Eating Out
Decatur, IL
$304
Mexico City
$203 33.2% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Decatur, IL
$213
Mexico City
$126 41% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Decatur, IL
$164
Mexico City
$155 5.8% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Decatur, IL
$98
Mexico City
$70 28.4% $28
Getting Around
Decatur, IL
$10 *
Mexico City
$26 151% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Decatur, IL versus $1,051 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 run about 372% higher in Decatur, IL, 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 $83.0 in Decatur, IL versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $323 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Decatur, IL
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
17:47 5:47 PM
1 h behind Decatur, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
77,047
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Decatur, IL Mexico City 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Decatur, 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
Decatur, IL vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City cheaper than Decatur, IL?
Yes – Decatur, IL is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,588 per month in Decatur, IL and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Decatur, IL or in Mexico City?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Decatur, IL and $50.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Decatur, IL and in Mexico City?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Decatur, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Decatur, IL or in Mexico City?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Decatur, IL at $1,725. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Decatur, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Decatur, IL or Mexico City more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Decatur, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Decatur, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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