Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,736 in Houghton, MI, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Houghton, MI
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Houghton, MI Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,736

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,736 in Houghton, MI versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Houghton, MI $2,736
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,593 in Houghton, MI versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Houghton, MI $3,593
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Houghton, MI versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Houghton, MI $4,449
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 77% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houghton, MI 102% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$11.02 MX$204

25.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.55 $39.55

$48.68 MX$900

-18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 $10.37

$10.90 MX$201

-4.86%

Cappuccino

$4.13 $4.13

$3.68 MX$68.1

12.23%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.63 MX$30.18

70.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.25 MX$23.07

29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.25 MX$60.1

82.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$5.53 MX$102

33.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.70 MX$31.50

-41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.02 MX$55.8

38.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$1.92 MX$35.53

230.21%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$2.73 MX$50.5

44.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$11.77 MX$218

4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 $10.79

$9.53 MX$176

13.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 $10.97

$14.41 MX$266

-23.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.02 MX$55.8

68.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.89 MX$35.01

-37.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$1.99 MX$36.70

113.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.19 MX$40.38

117.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.92 MX$35.43

45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.87 MX$34.49

60.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.44 MX$26.62

53.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.27 MX$23.39

15.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$5.22 MX$96.4

95.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$16.17 MX$299

-7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.90 MX$35.03

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$4.22 MX$78.0

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.34 MX$6.30

497.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.00 MX$36.90

51.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.52 MX$9.67

186.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.22 $29.22

$5.34 MX$98.7

447.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.52 MX$28.13

-46.71%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

13.84%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

3.55%

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

$280 $280

$61.1 MX$1,129

358.98%

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

$57.6 $57.6

$28.58 MX$528

101.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$34.47 MX$637

100.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.96 $36.96

$56.4 MX$1,042

-34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$6.66 MX$123

112.91%

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

$1,249 $1,249

$427 MX$7,891

192.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

97.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$67.8 MX$1,253

-20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 $41.58

$52.0 MX$960

-19.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$106 MX$1,959

-17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$113 MX$2,080

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 $1,833

$1,025 MX$18.9K

78.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 $1,484

$654 MX$12.1K

126.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 $2,318

$2,308 MX$42.7K

0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,242 MX$22.9K

58.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-57.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,550 $1,550

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-19.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,603 $2,603

$964 MX$17.8K

170.02%

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 Houghton, MI: 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

Houghton, MI

$1.5K 54.2%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 55.9% $830

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houghton, MI

$407 14.9%

Mexico City

$124 8% 69.5% $283

Groceries & Markets

Houghton, MI

$377 13.8%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 15.7% $59

Eating Out

Houghton, MI

$253 9.3%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 19.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Houghton, MI

$131 4.8%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 16.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Houghton, MI

$65 2.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 6.7% $4.4

Getting Around

Houghton, MI

$19 * 0.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 38% $7.1

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 $1,833 in Houghton, MI and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays 170% 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: $40.00 in Houghton, MI vs $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $318, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houghton, MI

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

2 h behind Houghton, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Houghton, MI Mexico City 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Houghton, MI
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

Houghton, MI vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 170% higher in Houghton, MI, 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: $1,833 in Houghton, MI versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,736 per month in Houghton, MI versus $1,548 in Mexico City – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. 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 Houghton, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houghton, MI 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 77% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.