Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, KS and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,714 in Kansas City, KS, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kansas City, KS, United States
Mexico City, Mexico
Kansas City, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,714
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,714 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Kansas City, KS $2,714
  • Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,099 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Kansas City, KS $4,099
  • Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $5,484 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Kansas City, KS $5,484
  • Mexico City $3,490

Kansas City, KS costs about 69% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kansas City, KS and Mexico City sit above the global median – Kansas City, KS by 99%, Mexico City by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.70 $23.70
$10.62 MX$199
123.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.6 $81.6
$48.35 MX$904
68.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.58 $12.58
$10.35 MX$193
21.55%
Cappuccino
$6.09 $6.09
$3.69 MX$69.0
65.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.67 MX$31.14
82.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.27 MX$23.65
92.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.13 $5.13
$3.19 MX$59.7
60.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.86 $8.86
$5.31 MX$99.2
66.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.72 MX$32.23
-37.79%
White Bread (500g)
$3.37 $3.37
$3.04 MX$56.8
10.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.27 $5.27
$1.94 MX$36.27
171.65%
Eggs
$4.57 $4.57
$2.89 MX$54.0
58.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.97 $13.97
$10.97 MX$205
27.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.50 $9.50
$9.25 MX$173
2.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.57 $13.57
$15.13 MX$283
-10.31%
Apples (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.05 MX$57.0
37.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.94 MX$36.27
8.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.89 $5.89
$2.03 MX$37.85
190.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$2.31 MX$43.25
135.93%
Potato (1kg)
$3.57 $3.57
$2.04 MX$38.03
75.00%
Onion (1kg)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.80 MX$33.63
110.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.48 MX$27.64
61.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.27 MX$23.69
71.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.78 $8.78
$5.30 MX$99.1
65.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.84 $16.84
$16.10 MX$301
4.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.98 MX$37.06
-8.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 $3.97
$4.25 MX$79.5
-6.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.31 MX$5.70
393.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.2 $55.2
$19.73 MX$369
179.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.93 $4.93
$1.84 MX$34.34
167.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.28 $1.28
$0.53 MX$9.97
141.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.28 $41.28
$5.30 MX$99.0
678.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.51 MX$28.23
-32.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$21.8K MX$406.5K
25.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$24.0K MX$448.2K
9.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 $198
$63.0 MX$1,177
214.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.0 $53.0
$27.39 MX$512
93.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.3 $64.3
$35.67 MX$666
80.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$113 $113
$58.9 MX$1,101
92.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$64.7 $64.7
$23.64 MX$442
173.52%
Cinema Ticket
$15.24 $15.24
$6.40 MX$120
138.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$445 $445
$432 MX$8,065
3.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
$11.4K MX$213.5K
86.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 $59.8
$68.2 MX$1,275
-12.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.22 $43.22
$53.1 MX$993
-18.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 $104
$108 MX$2,014
-3.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$117 MX$2,191
24.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,498 $1,498
$1,113 MX$20.8K
34.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,255 $1,255
$710 MX$13.3K
76.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,794 $2,794
$2,588 MX$48.4K
7.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,191 $2,191
$1,406 MX$26.3K
55.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,078 $2,078
$3,631 MX$67.8K
-42.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,167 $2,167
$2,135 MX$39.9K
1.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kansas City, KS
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,207 $3,207
$946 MX$17.7K
238.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.56
11.35
-42.20%

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

Last update for Kansas City, KS: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kansas City, KS
$1.3K
Mexico City
$710 43.4% $545
Groceries & Markets
Kansas City, KS
$403
Mexico City
$320 20.7% $83
Eating Out
Kansas City, KS
$366
Mexico City
$199 45.7% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kansas City, KS
$316
Mexico City
$126 60.1% $190
Clothing & Footwear
Kansas City, KS
$159
Mexico City
$156 1.7% $2.7
Sport & Entertainment
Kansas City, KS
$144
Mexico City
$72 50.1% $72
Getting Around
Kansas City, KS
$73
Mexico City
$25 65% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,498 in Kansas City, KS versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kansas City, KS are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Kansas City, KS versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
05:22 5:22 AM
04:22 4:22 AM
1 h behind Kansas City, KS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,202
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kansas City, KS Mexico City 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kansas City, KS
  • 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
Kansas City, KS vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kansas City, KS or Mexico City?
Kansas City, KS costs about 69% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kansas City, KS and in Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,072 per month in Kansas City, KS and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kansas City, KS or Mexico City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,498 in Kansas City, KS.
How do childcare costs compare in Kansas City, KS and in Mexico City?
Kindergarten costs $445 per month in Kansas City, KS and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kansas City, KS or in Mexico City?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Kansas City, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Kansas City, KS or in Mexico City?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,714 in Kansas City, KS and $1,608 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Kansas City, KS or to Mexico City?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kansas City, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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