Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfax, VA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
Learn more

Fairfax, VA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,428

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,428 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Fairfax, VA $3,428
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,787 in Fairfax, VA versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Fairfax, VA $4,787
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,147 in Fairfax, VA versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Fairfax, VA $6,147
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Fairfax, VA is roughly 113% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfax, VA 152% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.15 $19.15

$10.62 MX$200

80.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$48.35 MX$909

99.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$10.35 MX$194

14.40%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$3.69 MX$69.4

64.77%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.67 MX$31.32

91.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.27 MX$23.78

98.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.19 MX$60.0

114.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.31 MX$99.7

51.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.72 MX$32.41

-36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.04 MX$57.1

33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.94 MX$36.48

177.84%

Eggs

$5.40 $5.40

$2.89 MX$54.3

86.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$10.97 MX$206

54.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$9.25 MX$174

61.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$15.13 MX$284

23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.05 MX$57.3

93.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.94 MX$36.48

16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.03 MX$38.06

185.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.31 MX$43.50

148.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.04 MX$38.25

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.80 MX$33.83

107.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.48 MX$27.80

65.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.27 MX$23.82

111.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 $13.63

$5.30 MX$99.7

157.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$16.10 MX$303

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.98 MX$37.27

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.25 MX$79.9

6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.31 MX$5.73

770.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.7 $68.7

$19.73 MX$371

248.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.84 MX$34.53

61.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.53 MX$10.03

177.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 $24.06

$5.30 MX$99.5

353.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.51 MX$28.39

-29.14%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

63.67%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

8.94%

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

$212 $212

$63.0 MX$1,184

237.04%

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

$65.6 $65.6

$27.39 MX$515

139.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 $77.3

$35.67 MX$670

116.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 $68.6

$58.9 MX$1,108

16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.20 $25.20

$23.64 MX$444

6.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.96 $17.96

$6.40 MX$120

180.63%

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

$1,906 $1,906

$432 MX$8,111

341.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K $35.2K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

207.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$68.2 MX$1,282

-23.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$53.1 MX$999

3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$108 MX$2,026

-14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$117 MX$2,204

-4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$1,113 MX$20.9K

122.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 $1,920

$710 MX$13.4K

170.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,353 $3,353

$2,588 MX$48.6K

29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 $2,733

$1,406 MX$26.4K

94.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,371 $5,371

$3,631 MX$68.2K

47.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,702 $3,702

$2,135 MX$40.1K

73.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,746 $5,746

$946 MX$17.8K

507.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.35

-40.79%

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

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 56%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 63% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfax, VA

$483 14.1%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 33.8% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfax, VA

$355 10.4%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 64.5% $229

Eating Out

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.8%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 40.7% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 11.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfax, VA

$105 3.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 31.4% $33

Getting Around

Fairfax, VA

$90 2.6%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 71.7% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,474 in Fairfax, VA and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $97 in Fairfax, VA vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h behind Fairfax, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,146

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fairfax, VA Mexico City 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fairfax, VA
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

Fairfax, VA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Fairfax, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Fairfax, VA is about 6.1 times higher, 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: $2,474 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Fairfax, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $97 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Fairfax, VA. 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 53% less than in Fairfax, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.