Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hackensack, NJ and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Hackensack, NJ
Learn more

Hackensack, NJ Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Hackensack, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,387

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Hackensack, NJ $3,387
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,155 in Hackensack, NJ versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Hackensack, NJ $5,155
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,923 in Hackensack, NJ versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Hackensack, NJ $6,923
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Hackensack, NJ is roughly 111% 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: Hackensack, NJ 149% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 $25.17

$10.62 MX$200

137.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$48.35 MX$909

103.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.35 MX$194

26.47%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.69 MX$69.4

47.43%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.67 MX$31.32

43.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.27 MX$23.78

22.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.19 MX$60.0

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$5.31 MX$99.7

49.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.72 MX$32.41

-25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.04 MX$57.1

44.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$1.94 MX$36.48

213.40%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$2.89 MX$54.3

105.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$10.97 MX$206

14.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$9.25 MX$174

-13.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 $17.19

$15.13 MX$284

13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.05 MX$57.3

79.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.94 MX$36.48

-11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.03 MX$38.06

111.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.31 MX$43.50

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.04 MX$38.25

52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.80 MX$33.83

65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.48 MX$27.80

89.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.27 MX$23.82

130.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.70 $11.70

$5.30 MX$99.7

120.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 $14.82

$16.10 MX$303

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.98 MX$37.27

-11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.25 MX$79.9

-15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 $3.60

$0.31 MX$5.73

1061.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$19.73 MX$371

200.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.84 MX$34.53

67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.53 MX$10.03

296.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 $24.30

$5.30 MX$99.5

358.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.51 MX$28.39

-28.48%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

27.70%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

6.25%

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

$213 $213

$63.0 MX$1,184

237.47%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$27.39 MX$515

97.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.74 $49.74

$35.67 MX$670

39.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$58.9 MX$1,108

-23.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$20.12 $20.12

$6.40 MX$120

214.37%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$432 MX$8,111

355.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

40.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.27 $44.27

$68.2 MX$1,282

-35.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 $56.8

$53.1 MX$999

6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$108 MX$2,026

-18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$117 MX$2,204

-12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,356 $2,356

$1,113 MX$20.9K

111.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 $1,968

$710 MX$13.4K

176.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,211 $4,211

$2,588 MX$48.6K

62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,684 $3,684

$1,406 MX$26.4K

162.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,608 $3,608

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-0.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,238 $3,238

$2,135 MX$40.1K

51.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,137 $6,137

$946 MX$17.8K

548.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

11.35

-40.09%

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

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hackensack, NJ

$2K 58.1%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 63.9% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hackensack, NJ

$423 12.5%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 24.4% $103

Eating Out

Hackensack, NJ

$377 11.1%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 47.3% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hackensack, NJ

$316 9.3%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 60.2% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Hackensack, NJ

$131 3.9%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 18.9% $25

Getting Around

Hackensack, NJ

$87 2.6%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 70.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Hackensack, NJ

$85 2.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 15.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hackensack, NJ pays about 6.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98 in Hackensack, NJ vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

1 h behind Hackensack, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,756

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

Hackensack, NJ Mexico City 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hackensack, NJ
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

Hackensack, NJ vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Hackensack, NJ. 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 Hackensack, NJ is about 6.5 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: $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,965 in Hackensack, NJ versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Hackensack, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Hackensack, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value at $1,608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.