Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubuque, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Mexico City $3,323

Dubuque, IA costs about 12% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Dubuque, IA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Dubuque, IA by 28%, Mexico City by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$11.02 MX$204

25.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$48.68 MX$900

2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.90 MX$201

8.26%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.68 MX$68.1

35.60%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$1.63 MX$30.18

23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 MX$23.07

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.25 MX$60.1

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.53 MX$102

-18.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.70 MX$31.50

-54.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.02 MX$55.8

-10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.92 MX$35.53

46.87%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$2.73 MX$50.5

4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$11.77 MX$218

19.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$9.53 MX$176

8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.41 MX$266

-26.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.02 MX$55.8

9.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.89 MX$35.01

-35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.99 MX$36.70

63.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.19 MX$40.38

11.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.92 MX$35.43

-29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.87 MX$34.49

-10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.44 MX$26.62

68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.27 MX$23.39

40.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$5.22 MX$96.4

66.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$16.17 MX$299

-17.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.90 MX$35.03

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.22 MX$78.0

-33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.52 MX$28.13

-40.13%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

11.12%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

2.13%

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

$176 $176

$61.1 MX$1,129

188.60%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$28.58 MX$528

81.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$34.47 MX$637

47.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$56.4 MX$1,042

-34.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$6.66 MX$123

22.67%

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

$812 $812

$427 MX$7,891

90.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$67.8 MX$1,253

-18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$52.0 MX$960

-31.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$106 MX$1,959

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$113 MX$2,080

-21.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$654 MX$12.1K

10.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-3.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-52.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-11.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$964 MX$17.8K

290.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.3

-53.54%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 9.7% $71

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 1.9% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Mexico City

$124 8% 55.5% $155

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 15.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 31% $16

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $1,025 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 291% higher in Dubuque, IA, 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 $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $312 in Dubuque, IA vs $318 in Mexico City – so Dubuque, IA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

1 h behind Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubuque, IA Mexico City 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, IA
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

Dubuque, IA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubuque, IA costs about 12% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA and $2,322 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $427 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Dubuque, IA at $1,731. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubuque, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,548 versus $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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