Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,615 in Houston, TX versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Houston, TX versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,363 in Houston, TX versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 76% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, TX 94% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$13.29 MX$231

48.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$53.8 MX$933

50.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.29 MX$161

8.61%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$3.61 MX$62.6

53.46%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.56 MX$27.03

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.12 MX$19.46

91.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.13 MX$54.3

92.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.71 MX$81.7

48.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.70 MX$29.54

-44.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.77 MX$48.03

13.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.96 MX$34.05

83.67%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.60 MX$45.21

60.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$9.94 MX$173

27.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 $11.97

$8.10 MX$141

47.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 $17.55

$11.50 MX$200

52.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.87 MX$49.84

47.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.73 MX$30.07

-19.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.00 MX$34.73

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.04 MX$35.38

27.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.08 MX$36.14

34.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.20 MX$38.12

3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.45 MX$25.24

28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.07 MX$18.63

110.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 $9.80

$4.27 MX$74.2

129.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 $12.43

$14.32 MX$249

-13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.76 MX$30.62

14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.70 MX$64.2

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.35 MX$6.12

265.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 $73.7

$19.19 MX$333

284.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.34 MX$23.18

185.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.28 MX$4.83

578.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$5.33 MX$92.6

472.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.34 MX$23.27

-41.79%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

69.53%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

8.02%

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

$197 $197

$39.86 MX$692

393.65%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$26.78 MX$465

132.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$29.36 MX$510

120.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 $38.32

$53.4 MX$927

-28.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 $10.96

$26.09 MX$453

-57.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$6.40 MX$111

136.41%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$440 MX$7,647

188.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

79.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.67 $45.67

$57.6 MX$1,000

-20.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.09 $44.09

$45.02 MX$781

-2.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$104 MX$1,801

-5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$108 MX$1,874

15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$1,013 MX$17.6K

62.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$630 MX$10.9K

101.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$2,162 MX$37.5K

41.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 $2,413

$1,222 MX$21.2K

97.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 $2,525

$3,793 MX$65.8K

-33.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$2,332 MX$40.5K

-17.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,608 $4,608

$1,075 MX$18.7K

328.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.34

-43.21%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: April 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,643 in Houston, TX and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 329% 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: $81 in Houston, TX vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $285 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Houston, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Houston, TX pays 329% more on average, 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: $1,643 in Houston, TX versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Houston, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $81.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,615 in Houston, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Houston, TX. 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 – similar infrastructure at $1,484 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 76% less than in Houston, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.