Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glendale, CA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,628 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,628

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,628 in Glendale, CA versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Glendale, CA $3,628
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,588 in Glendale, CA versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Glendale, CA $4,588
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,548 in Glendale, CA versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Glendale, CA $5,548
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Glendale, CA is roughly 131% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Glendale, CA 169% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$10.75 MX$199

134.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 $76.6

$50.3 MX$929

52.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$11.10 MX$205

37.12%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$3.68 MX$68.1

59.78%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$1.65 MX$30.42

89.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.30 MX$24.08

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.32 MX$61.3

113.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$5.54 MX$102

77.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.77 MX$32.68

-20.34%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.05 MX$56.4

57.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.01 MX$37.20

132.84%

Eggs

$5.79 $5.79

$2.77 MX$51.1

109.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$11.91 MX$220

-4.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$9.33 MX$172

-8.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.38 $19.38

$15.02 MX$278

29.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.08 MX$56.8

53.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.95 MX$35.97

18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.03 MX$37.54

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.21 MX$40.92

144.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.02 MX$37.41

67.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.82 MX$33.67

54.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.52 MX$28.07

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.28 MX$23.65

90.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 $11.91

$5.27 MX$97.4

126.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$16.12 MX$298

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.95 MX$36.05

29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.25 MX$78.6

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.31 MX$5.82

551.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.5 $91.5

$19.85 MX$367

361.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.00 MX$36.93

51.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.53 MX$9.86

239.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.99 $31.99

$5.62 MX$104

469.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.52 MX$28.07

2.63%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

72.99%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

0.92%

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

$221 $221

$62.5 MX$1,155

253.82%

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

$78.0 $78.0

$28.77 MX$532

171.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$34.45 MX$637

115.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$57.1 MX$1,055

-30.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$6.67 MX$123

201.80%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$431 MX$7,964

172.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

172.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.8 MX$1,308

-13.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.74 $48.74

$51.8 MX$958

-5.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$109 MX$2,011

11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 $199

$112 MX$2,076

77.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$1,051 MX$19.4K

50.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 $2,053

$665 MX$12.3K

208.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$2,346 MX$43.3K

7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 $2,129

$1,227 MX$22.7K

73.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 $2,395

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-32.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$1,977 MX$36.5K

39.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,110 $5,110

$975 MX$18.0K

424.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.3

-42.21%

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

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 67.6% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, CA

$421 11.6%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 23.3% $98

Eating Out

Glendale, CA

$395 10.9%

Mexico City

$203 13% 48.6% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, CA

$373 10.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 66.3% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, CA

$194 5.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 20.2% $39

Getting Around

Glendale, CA

$112 3.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 76.9% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, CA

$80 2.2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 12.2% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Glendale, CA and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glendale, CA pays 424% 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: $77.0 in Glendale, CA vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

11:28 11:28 AM

1 h ahead of Glendale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Glendale, CA Mexico City 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Glendale, CA
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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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 424% higher in Glendale, CA, 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: $1,579 in Glendale, CA versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 361% less than in Glendale, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,174 in Glendale, CA versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,628 in Glendale, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Glendale, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Glendale, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Glendale, CA and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Glendale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.