Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hays, KS and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,737 per month in Hays, KS vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Hays, KS $1,737
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $2,467 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Hays, KS $2,467
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $3,198 per month in Hays, KS vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Hays, KS $3,198
Mexico City $3,323

Hays, KS costs about 12% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hays, KS and Mexico City sit above the global median – Hays, KS by 28%, Mexico City by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 $13.33

$11.02 MX$204

20.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 $43.87

$48.68 MX$900

-9.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 $8.11

$10.90 MX$201

-25.60%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.68 MX$68.1

8.15%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.63 MX$30.18

46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.25 MX$23.07

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.25 MX$60.1

18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.53 MX$102

-21.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.70 MX$31.50

-55.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.02 MX$55.8

-25.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.92 MX$35.53

132.29%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.73 MX$50.5

-24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$11.77 MX$218

-62.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$9.53 MX$176

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$14.41 MX$266

-7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.02 MX$55.8

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.89 MX$35.01

-13.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.99 MX$36.70

154.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.19 MX$40.38

101.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.92 MX$35.43

52.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.87 MX$34.49

16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.44 MX$26.62

36.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.27 MX$23.39

59.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$5.22 MX$96.4

85.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$16.17 MX$299

-24.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.90 MX$35.03

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.22 MX$78.0

-8.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.34 MX$6.30

491.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.00 MX$36.90

21.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.52 MX$9.67

201.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 $39.71

$5.34 MX$98.7

643.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.52 MX$28.13

-39.47%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

27.17%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

5.88%

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

$269 $269

$61.1 MX$1,129

339.95%

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

$34.85 $34.85

$28.58 MX$528

21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$34.47 MX$637

99.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 $45.17

$56.4 MX$1,042

-19.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$6.66 MX$123

128.38%

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

$922 $922

$427 MX$7,891

115.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.68 $23.68

$67.8 MX$1,253

-65.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$52.0 MX$960

-38.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$106 MX$1,959

3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$113 MX$2,080

22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-22.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 $589

$654 MX$12.1K

-9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 $1,034

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-27.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-33.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$1,936 MX$35.8K

35.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 $2,386

$964 MX$17.8K

147.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.3

-41.15%

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

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hays, KS

$589 33.9%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 11.1% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hays, KS

$372 21.4%

Mexico City

$124 8% 66.7% $248

Groceries & Markets

Hays, KS

$325 18.7%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 2.2% $7.1

Eating Out

Hays, KS

$220 12.7%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 7.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Hays, KS

$136 7.9%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 11.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Hays, KS

$76 4.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 7.8% $5.9

Getting Around

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 40% $7.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $793 in Hays, KS versus $1,025 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 run about 147% higher in Hays, KS, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Hays, KS versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Hays, KS vs $318 in Mexico City – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

1 h behind Hays, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,726

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Hays, KS Mexico City 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hays, KS
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

Hays, KS vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,605 per month in Hays, KS and $2,322 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Hays, KS and $49.00 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Hays, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Hays, KS at $1,737. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hays, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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