Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla Mujeres: $1,087 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $48,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Isla Mujeres
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Isla Mujeres Living Index
245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Isla Mujeres

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,087

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Isla Mujeres and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Isla Mujeres and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $5,142 in New York, NY.

Isla Mujeres $1,087
New York, NY $5,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Isla Mujeres versus $7,455 in New York, NY.

Isla Mujeres $1,747
New York, NY $7,455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,407 in Isla Mujeres versus $9,767 in New York, NY.

Isla Mujeres $2,407
New York, NY $9,767

Living in Isla Mujeres costs roughly 79% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isla Mujeres is 19% below, New York, NY is 284% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.60 MX$193

$26.46 $26.46

-59.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 MX$714

$119 $119

-67.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 MX$147

$14.43 $14.43

-44.14%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$61.8

$6.55 $6.55

-48.40%

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

$1.24 MX$22.59

$3.84 $3.84

-67.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$17.61

$3.00 $3.00

-68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$40.87

$8.27 $8.27

-72.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$69.3

$10.05 $10.05

-62.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.12

$1.31 $1.31

9.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.25

$4.90 $4.90

-46.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$28.74

$7.16 $7.16

-78.07%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$43.51

$5.92 $5.92

-59.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 MX$150

$19.06 $19.06

-56.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 MX$146

$17.38 $17.38

-53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 MX$197

$18.94 $18.94

-43.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$49.58

$6.96 $6.96

-60.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.58

$2.08 $2.08

-32.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 MX$32.53

$6.10 $6.10

-70.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 MX$30.19

$6.95 $6.95

-76.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$33.66

$3.98 $3.98

-53.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.22

$4.44 $4.44

-56.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$22.92

$2.81 $2.81

-55.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.72

$2.51 $2.51

-61.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$78.0

$19.27 $19.27

-77.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 MX$195

$19.67 $19.67

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.30

$3.08 $3.08

-49.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$50.0

$3.68 $3.68

-25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.98

$3.02 $3.02

-78.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$48.47

$3.07 $3.07

-13.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 MX$27.81

$2.13 $2.13

-28.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 MX$153

$41.21 $41.21

-79.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$24.25

$1.11 $1.11

19.82%

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

$21.2K MX$387.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-39.37%

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

$22.8K MX$416.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

-10.11%

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

$56.0 MX$1,023

$217 $217

-74.24%

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

$22.35 MX$408

$74.0 $74.0

-69.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 MX$509

$72.5 $72.5

-61.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 MX$673

$120 $120

-69.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.02 MX$292

$66.9 $66.9

-76.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$85.4

$22.32 $22.32

-79.03%

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

$206 MX$3,758

$3,425 $3,425

-93.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,587 MX$65.5K

$61.2K $61.2K

-94.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$984

$76.3 $76.3

-29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 MX$724

$55.5 $55.5

-28.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 MX$1,630

$119 $119

-25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 MX$1,423

$131 $131

-40.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 MX$9,466

$4,506 $4,506

-88.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$7,123

$3,155 $3,155

-87.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 MX$16.9K

$8,817 $8,817

-89.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.9K

$5,532 $5,532

-86.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,785 MX$32.6K

$19.4K $19.4K

-90.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,153 MX$21.1K

$6,754 $6,754

-82.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

6.82

68.33%

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

Last update for Isla Mujeres: October 6, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isla Mujeres

$390 35.4%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 709% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

Isla Mujeres

$252 22.8%

New York, NY

$546 11% 117% $295

Eating Out

Isla Mujeres

$177 16.1%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 139% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Isla Mujeres

$117 10.7%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 46.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isla Mujeres

$106 9.7%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 243% $258

Sport & Entertainment

Isla Mujeres

$46 4.2%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 257% $119

Getting Around

Isla Mujeres

$13 * 1.2%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 1182% $152

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 $518 in Isla Mujeres and $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Isla Mujeres vs $119 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $546 per month, with Isla Mujeres cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Isla Mujeres

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h ahead of Isla Mujeres

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,174

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Isla Mujeres New York, NY 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Isla Mujeres
New York, NY

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

Isla Mujeres vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isla Mujeres and New York, NY differ by about 373% in total monthly costs ($1,087 vs $5,142 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,631 in Isla Mujeres and $7,714 in New York, NY 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: $518 in Isla Mujeres versus $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,087 per month in Isla Mujeres versus $5,142 in New York, NY – a 373% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,087 in Isla Mujeres versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Isla Mujeres and New York, NY 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 373% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.