Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
Learn more

Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 106% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$11.02 MX$204

78.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$48.68 MX$900

65.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$10.90 MX$201

9.08%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.68 MX$68.1

48.10%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.63 MX$30.18

49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.25 MX$23.07

19.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.25 MX$60.1

139.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$5.53 MX$102

29.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.70 MX$31.50

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.02 MX$55.8

49.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.92 MX$35.53

210.42%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$2.73 MX$50.5

138.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$11.77 MX$218

30.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$9.53 MX$176

24.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$14.41 MX$266

36.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.02 MX$55.8

97.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.89 MX$35.01

87.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.99 MX$36.70

111.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.19 MX$40.38

147.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.92 MX$35.43

55.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.87 MX$34.49

57.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.44 MX$26.62

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.27 MX$23.39

98.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$5.22 MX$96.4

180.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$16.17 MX$299

-5.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.90 MX$35.03

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.22 MX$78.0

-19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.34 MX$6.30

747.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$19.65 MX$363

286.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.00 MX$36.90

46.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.52 MX$9.67

305.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$5.34 MX$98.7

693.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.52 MX$28.13

-28.29%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

26.57%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

7.29%

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

$247 $247

$61.1 MX$1,129

305.06%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$28.58 MX$528

78.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$34.47 MX$637

45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$56.4 MX$1,042

-56.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$6.66 MX$123

200.75%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$427 MX$7,891

371.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

39.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$67.8 MX$1,253

-26.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$52.0 MX$960

49.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$106 MX$1,959

-17.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$113 MX$2,080

8.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$1,025 MX$18.9K

112.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$654 MX$12.1K

162.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$2,308 MX$42.7K

15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,242 MX$22.9K

100.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-64.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-40.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$964 MX$17.8K

314.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.3

-40.97%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 61.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 33% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Mexico City

$124 8% 64.4% $224

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 37.8% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 0.5% $0.7

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 74.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 7.5% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 315% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

01:37 1:37 AM

2 h behind Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elizabeth, NJ Mexico City 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, NJ
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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Mexico City differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 315% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.