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: $2,746 in Houston, TX versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Houston, TX versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,045 in Houston, TX versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 64% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, TX 99% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$12.14 MX$206

64.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$53.9 MX$914

40.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.09 MX$188

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$4.10 MX$69.5

32.20%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.68 MX$28.53

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.39 MX$23.55

56.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.33 MX$56.5

85.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.88 MX$99.7

33.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.85 MX$31.41

-52.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.17 MX$53.8

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.07 MX$35.13

105.31%

Eggs

$3.35 $3.35

$2.93 MX$49.67

14.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$12.59 MX$214

0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$10.11 MX$172

25.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 $16.28

$16.09 MX$273

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.39 MX$57.5

28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.08 MX$35.26

-32.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.12 MX$35.97

39.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.41 MX$40.95

37.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.13 MX$36.11

12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.01 MX$34.02

41.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.55 MX$26.21

20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.36 MX$23.15

91.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 $9.51

$5.77 MX$97.8

64.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 $14.50

$17.74 MX$301

-18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.07 MX$35.11

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.61 MX$78.3

-34.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.37 MX$6.21

245.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.2 $76.2

$21.18 MX$359

259.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.05 MX$34.84

45.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.58 MX$9.79

153.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.55 $23.55

$6.07 MX$103

287.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 MX$26.34

-39.35%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

57.18%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-0.27%

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

$199 $199

$67.4 MX$1,144

195.31%

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

$62.6 $62.6

$30.62 MX$520

104.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.8 $74.8

$37.24 MX$632

100.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.06 $40.06

$61.5 MX$1,043

-34.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.53 $20.53

$27.12 MX$460

-24.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$7.11 MX$121

108.58%

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

$2,202 $2,202

$456 MX$7,739

382.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

59.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.34 $49.34

$74.2 MX$1,259

-33.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.55 $46.55

$57.0 MX$967

-18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$115 MX$1,958

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 $94.3

$122 MX$2,061

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 $1,670

$1,148 MX$19.5K

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 $1,416

$709 MX$12.0K

99.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,096 $3,096

$2,577 MX$43.7K

20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 $2,209

$1,295 MX$22.0K

70.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,426 $2,426

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-39.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,804 $1,804

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-15.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,285 $4,285

$1,082 MX$18.4K

295.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

11.3

-45.13%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,670 in Houston, TX and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 296% 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: $75.0 in Houston, TX vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $345 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 64% 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.

Average pay runs 296% higher in Houston, TX, 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: $1,670 in Houston, TX versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $75.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,746 in Houston, TX, a $3,000 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 $1,677 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 64% less than in Houston, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.