Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fresno, CA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,811 in Fresno, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Fresno, CA
Learn more

Fresno, CA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Fresno, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,811

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,811 per month in Fresno, CA vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Fresno, CA $2,811
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,028 per month in Fresno, CA vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Fresno, CA $4,028
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $5,244 per month in Fresno, CA vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Fresno, CA $5,244
Mexico City $3,490

Fresno, CA costs about 75% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fresno, CA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Fresno, CA by 107%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 $19.74

$10.62 MX$200

85.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 $71.0

$48.35 MX$909

46.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 $13.89

$10.35 MX$194

34.20%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$3.69 MX$69.4

36.86%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.67 MX$31.32

74.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.27 MX$23.78

65.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 $7.02

$3.19 MX$60.0

120.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.12 $9.12

$5.31 MX$99.7

71.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.72 MX$32.41

-34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.04 MX$57.1

-11.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.94 MX$36.48

142.27%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$2.89 MX$54.3

89.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 $10.97

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 $9.73

$9.25 MX$174

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 $15.57

$15.13 MX$284

2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.05 MX$57.3

66.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 MX$36.48

0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.03 MX$38.06

119.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.31 MX$43.50

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$2.04 MX$38.25

287.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.80 MX$33.83

51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.48 MX$27.80

57.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.27 MX$23.82

135.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$5.30 MX$99.7

120.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 $17.73

$16.10 MX$303

10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.98 MX$37.27

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 $6.56

$4.25 MX$79.9

54.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.31 MX$5.73

216.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.47 $44.47

$19.73 MX$371

125.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.84 MX$34.53

130.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.53 MX$10.03

188.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.17 $27.17

$5.30 MX$99.5

412.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.51 MX$28.39

-2.65%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

25.94%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

15.65%

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

$237 $237

$63.0 MX$1,184

276.96%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$27.39 MX$515

91.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.1 $77.1

$35.67 MX$670

116.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.14 $33.14

$58.9 MX$1,108

-43.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.19 $42.19

$23.64 MX$444

78.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 $17.41

$6.40 MX$120

172.03%

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

$1,191 $1,191

$432 MX$8,111

175.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K $13.0K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

13.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$68.2 MX$1,282

-11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.07 $43.07

$53.1 MX$999

-18.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 $95.0

$108 MX$2,026

-11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 $172

$117 MX$2,204

46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 $1,568

$1,113 MX$20.9K

40.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 $1,403

$710 MX$13.4K

97.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,406 MX$26.4K

56.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,602 $2,602

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-28.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,070 $3,070

$2,135 MX$40.1K

43.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,818 $3,818

$946 MX$17.8K

303.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

11.35

-43.61%

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

Last update for Fresno, CA: 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

Fresno, CA

$1.4K 49.9%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 49.4% $693

Groceries & Markets

Fresno, CA

$413 14.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 22.6% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fresno, CA

$367 13.1%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 65.7% $241

Eating Out

Fresno, CA

$334 11.9%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 40.5% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Fresno, CA

$166 5.9%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 6.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Fresno, CA

$68 2.4%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 5.6% $3.8

Getting Around

Fresno, CA

$60 2.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 57.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,568 in Fresno, CA 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 in Fresno, CA are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Fresno, CA versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fresno, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

2 h ahead of Fresno, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,052

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 = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fresno, CA Mexico City 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Fresno, CA
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

Fresno, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fresno, CA is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,217 per month in Fresno, CA and $2,412 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,568 in Fresno, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Fresno, CA and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,811 in Fresno, CA and $1,608 in Mexico City. That makes Mexico City about 43% cheaper.

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.

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