Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,699 in Houston, MO, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,699

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Houston, MO versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Houston, MO $2,699
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Houston, MO versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Houston, MO $3,960
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,221 in Houston, MO versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Houston, MO $5,221
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 72% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 100% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$10.75 MX$199

68.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 $77.5

$50.3 MX$929

54.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$11.10 MX$205

8.92%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.68 MX$68.1

40.76%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$1.65 MX$30.42

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.30 MX$24.08

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 $5.60

$3.32 MX$61.3

68.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$5.54 MX$102

29.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.77 MX$32.68

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.05 MX$56.4

24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.01 MX$37.20

184.08%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$2.77 MX$51.1

40.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$11.91 MX$220

11.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$9.33 MX$172

65.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.59 $20.59

$15.02 MX$278

37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.08 MX$56.8

166.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.95 MX$35.97

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.03 MX$37.54

173.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.21 MX$40.92

138.01%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.02 MX$37.41

113.86%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.82 MX$33.67

172.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.52 MX$28.07

86.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.28 MX$23.65

120.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 $8.24

$5.27 MX$97.4

56.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$16.12 MX$298

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.95 MX$36.05

45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.25 MX$78.6

-24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.31 MX$5.82

512.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.00 MX$36.93

70.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.53 MX$9.86

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.87 $39.87

$5.62 MX$104

609.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.52 MX$28.07

-33.55%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

69.86%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-2.72%

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

$244 $244

$62.5 MX$1,155

289.81%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$28.77 MX$532

137.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$34.45 MX$637

116.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.02 $44.02

$57.1 MX$1,055

-22.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$6.67 MX$123

108.85%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$431 MX$7,964

230.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

101.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$70.8 MX$1,308

-16.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 $39.41

$51.8 MX$958

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$109 MX$2,011

-19.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$112 MX$2,076

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$1,051 MX$19.4K

28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$665 MX$12.3K

94.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$2,346 MX$43.3K

6.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,227 MX$22.7K

75.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-23.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 $2,291

$1,977 MX$36.5K

15.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.3

-40.53%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.9%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 48.5% $627

Groceries & Markets

Houston, MO

$490 18.2%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 34.2% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, MO

$387 14.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 67.5% $261

Eating Out

Houston, MO

$302 11.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 32.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, MO

$137 5.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 12.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, MO

$72 2.7%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 2% $1.4

Getting Around

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 35.8% $6.8

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 $1,347 in Houston, MO and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

00:25 12:25 AM

1 h behind Houston, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Houston, MO Mexico City 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, MO
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

Houston, MO vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,049 in Houston, MO and $2,351 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,347 in Houston, MO versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,425 in Houston, MO versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,699 in Houston, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. 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 Houston, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.