Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence, SC and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $2,245 in Florence, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Florence, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,245
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,561
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,245 in Florence, SC versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

  • Florence, SC $2,245
  • Mexico City $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,233 in Florence, SC versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

  • Florence, SC $3,233
  • Mexico City $2,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,220 in Florence, SC versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

  • Florence, SC $4,220
  • Mexico City $3,319

Living in Florence, SC is roughly 44% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Florence, SC 68% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.29 $15.29
$11.12 MX$204
37.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.6 $63.6
$48.99 MX$900
29.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 $10.92
$11.23 MX$206
-2.76%
Cappuccino
$4.87 $4.87
$3.76 MX$69.0
29.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.65 MX$30.34
56.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.28 MX$23.48
60.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.05 $5.05
$3.26 MX$59.8
54.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 $7.09
$5.66 MX$104
25.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.81 MX$33.23
-45.30%
White Bread (500g)
$4.07 $4.07
$2.94 MX$54.0
38.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.99 $5.99
$2.05 MX$37.62
192.20%
Eggs
$5.15 $5.15
$2.93 MX$53.7
75.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.55 $11.55
$11.95 MX$219
-3.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.75 $14.75
$9.51 MX$175
55.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.97 $24.97
$14.84 MX$273
68.26%
Apples (1kg)
$6.38 $6.38
$3.14 MX$57.7
103.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.01 MX$36.99
-14.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.12 $7.12
$2.08 MX$38.10
242.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.08 $6.08
$2.22 MX$40.72
173.87%
Potato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$2.06 MX$37.82
101.46%
Onion (1kg)
$6.11 $6.11
$1.88 MX$34.46
225.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.48 MX$27.18
56.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.35 MX$24.70
130.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.16 $8.16
$5.41 MX$99.3
50.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.27 $14.27
$16.86 MX$310
-15.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.98 MX$36.43
0.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.99 $5.99
$4.32 MX$79.4
38.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.34 MX$6.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$20.23 MX$371
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.21 $7.21
$2.10 MX$38.47
243.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 $1.89
$0.53 MX$9.74
256.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.41 MX$99.3
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.52 MX$27.91
-36.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K $36.2K
$21.7K MX$399.0K
66.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$24.8K MX$455.6K
1.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$282 $282
$63.0 MX$1,156
347.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.3 $56.3
$28.88 MX$530
94.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.45 $40.45
$33.93 MX$623
19.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$55.8 MX$1,024
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.90 MX$457
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.92 $14.92
$6.77 MX$124
120.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,331 $1,331
$428 MX$7,854
211.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K MX$218.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.44 $40.44
$70.0 MX$1,286
-42.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.55 $29.55
$53.7 MX$986
-45.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$110 MX$2,016
-4.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.2 $71.2
$115 MX$2,115
-38.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 $970
$1,062 MX$19.5K
-8.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$970 $970
$671 MX$12.3K
44.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,458 $1,458
$2,379 MX$43.7K
-38.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,356 $1,356
$1,260 MX$23.1K
7.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,553 $1,553
$3,716 MX$68.2K
-58.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,548 $1,548
$1,976 MX$36.3K
-21.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Florence, SC
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,203 $3,203
$997 MX$18.3K
221.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
11.3
-41.86%

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

Last update for Florence, SC: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Florence, SC
$970
Mexico City
$671 30.9% $300
Groceries & Markets
Florence, SC
$501
Mexico City
$327 34.8% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Florence, SC
$378
Mexico City
$126 66.8% $253
Eating Out
Florence, SC
$272
Mexico City
$207 23.8% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Florence, SC
$111
Mexico City
$157 41.6% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Florence, SC
$30 *
Mexico City
$69 132% $39
Getting Around
Florence, SC
$17 *
Mexico City
$26 58.4% $9.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Florence, SC and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence, SC pays 221% 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: $64.0 in Florence, SC vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $501 vs $327 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Florence, SC
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
20:15 8:15 PM
18:15 6:15 PM
2 h behind Florence, SC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,184
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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Florence, SC Mexico City 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Florence, SC
  • 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
Florence, SC vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Florence, SC or Mexico City?
Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Florence, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Florence, SC or in Mexico City?
Average pay runs 221% higher in Florence, SC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Florence, SC compared to Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Florence, SC versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Florence, SC and in Mexico City?
Childcare runs $1,331 in Florence, SC versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Florence, SC and in Mexico City?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $64.0 in Florence, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Florence, SC or in Mexico City?
At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,245 in Florence, SC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Florence, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Florence, SC or Mexico City?
Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,561 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Florence, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Florence, SC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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