Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,404 in Ellensburg, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ellensburg, WA, United States
Mexico City, Mexico
Ellensburg, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,404
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,404 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Ellensburg, WA $2,404
  • Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $3,555 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Ellensburg, WA $3,555
  • Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $4,705 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Ellensburg, WA $4,705
  • Mexico City $3,490

Ellensburg, WA costs about 50% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ellensburg, WA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Ellensburg, WA by 77%, Mexico City by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.25 $15.25
$10.62 MX$198
43.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.2 $75.2
$48.35 MX$901
55.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.13 $12.13
$10.35 MX$193
17.20%
Cappuccino
$5.04 $5.04
$3.69 MX$68.8
36.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.67 MX$31.07
-7.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.27 MX$23.59
-0.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 $4.87
$3.19 MX$59.5
52.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.09 $6.09
$5.31 MX$98.9
14.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.72 MX$32.15
-43.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 $2.79
$3.04 MX$56.7
-8.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$1.94 MX$36.19
142.78%
Eggs
$4.23 $4.23
$2.89 MX$53.8
46.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.48 $15.48
$10.97 MX$205
41.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 $6.66
$9.25 MX$172
-28.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.53 $13.53
$15.13 MX$282
-10.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 $4.60
$3.05 MX$56.8
50.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 $1.43
$1.94 MX$36.19
-26.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.27 $4.27
$2.03 MX$37.75
110.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.96 $3.96
$2.31 MX$43.15
71.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$2.04 MX$37.94
-25.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.80 MX$33.55
23.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.48 MX$27.58
32.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.27 MX$23.63
50.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.89 $9.89
$5.30 MX$98.9
86.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.99 $13.99
$16.10 MX$300
-13.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.98 MX$36.97
-6.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.90 $4.90
$4.25 MX$79.3
15.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 $2.05
$0.31 MX$5.69
561.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.6 $57.6
$19.73 MX$368
191.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.09 $5.09
$1.84 MX$34.25
176.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.76 $1.76
$0.53 MX$9.94
232.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.42 $39.42
$5.30 MX$98.7
643.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.51 MX$28.16
-31.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
$21.8K MX$405.5K
26.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$24.0K MX$447.1K
13.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 $149
$63.0 MX$1,174
136.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.60 $39.60
$27.39 MX$511
44.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.3 $71.3
$35.67 MX$665
99.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.90 $40.90
$58.9 MX$1,099
-30.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.64 MX$441
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.93 $15.93
$6.40 MX$119
148.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,356 $1,356
$432 MX$8,045
214.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K $21.6K
$11.4K MX$212.9K
88.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.48 $34.48
$68.2 MX$1,272
-49.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.61 $34.61
$53.1 MX$990
-34.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 $109
$108 MX$2,009
1.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.10 $40.10
$117 MX$2,186
-65.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 $1,614
$1,113 MX$20.8K
44.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,277 $1,277
$710 MX$13.2K
79.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,509 $2,509
$2,588 MX$48.2K
-3.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,172 $2,172
$1,406 MX$26.2K
54.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,531 $4,531
$3,631 MX$67.7K
24.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 $4,418
$2,135 MX$39.8K
106.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ellensburg, WA
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,785 $1,785
$946 MX$17.6K
88.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
11.35
-42.73%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ellensburg, WA
$1.3K
Mexico City
$710 44.4% $567
Groceries & Markets
Ellensburg, WA
$349
Mexico City
$320 8.5% $30
Eating Out
Ellensburg, WA
$267
Mexico City
$199 25.5% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ellensburg, WA
$260
Mexico City
$126 51.5% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Ellensburg, WA
$98
Mexico City
$156 58.6% $58
Getting Around
Ellensburg, WA
$80
Mexico City
$25 68% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Ellensburg, WA
$73
Mexico City
$72 1.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Ellensburg, WA 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 run about 89% higher in Ellensburg, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Ellensburg, WA versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
12:06 12:06 PM
13:06 1:06 PM
1 h ahead of Ellensburg, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,666
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 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ellensburg, WA Mexico City 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ellensburg, WA
  • 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
Ellensburg, WA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ellensburg, WA or Mexico City?
Ellensburg, WA costs about 50% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ellensburg, WA and in Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,605 per month in Ellensburg, WA and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ellensburg, WA or Mexico City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,614 in Ellensburg, WA.
How expensive is transport in Ellensburg, WA compared to Mexico City?
Public transport costs about 66% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Ellensburg, WA and in Mexico City?
Kindergarten costs $1,356 per month in Ellensburg, WA and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Ellensburg, WA or in Mexico City?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,404 in Ellensburg, WA and $1,608 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Ellensburg, WA or to Mexico City?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ellensburg, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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