Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata, MD and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,441 in La Plata, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in La Plata, MD
Learn more

La Plata, MD Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,441 per month in La Plata, MD vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

La Plata, MD $2,441
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $3,635 per month in La Plata, MD vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

La Plata, MD $3,635
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $4,829 per month in La Plata, MD vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

La Plata, MD $4,829
Mexico City $3,490

La Plata, MD costs about 52% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both La Plata, MD and Mexico City sit above the global median – La Plata, MD by 79%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.52 $13.52

$10.62 MX$198

27.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 $90.4

$48.35 MX$901

86.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 $7.62

$10.35 MX$193

-26.38%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$3.69 MX$68.8

70.46%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.67 MX$31.07

68.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.27 MX$23.59

101.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.19 MX$59.5

8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.31 MX$98.9

-6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.72 MX$32.15

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.04 MX$56.7

45.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$1.94 MX$36.19

221.13%

Eggs

$1.81 $1.81

$2.89 MX$53.8

-37.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$10.97 MX$205

15.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$9.25 MX$172

-4.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$15.13 MX$282

-13.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.05 MX$56.8

60.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.94 MX$36.19

-14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$2.03 MX$37.75

211.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.31 MX$43.15

92.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.04 MX$37.94

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.80 MX$33.55

15.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.48 MX$27.58

41.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.27 MX$23.63

114.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$5.30 MX$98.9

123.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 $14.37

$16.10 MX$300

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.98 MX$36.97

-15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$4.25 MX$79.3

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.31 MX$5.69

525.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$19.73 MX$368

194.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.84 MX$34.25

48.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.53 MX$9.94

215.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$5.30 MX$98.7

460.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.51 MX$28.16

-32.45%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$21.8K MX$405.5K

49.81%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$24.0K MX$447.1K

27.33%

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

$97.8 $97.8

$63.0 MX$1,174

55.35%

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

$42.02 $42.02

$27.39 MX$511

53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$35.67 MX$665

106.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 $40.39

$58.9 MX$1,099

-31.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$6.40 MX$119

136.56%

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

$1,210 $1,210

$432 MX$8,045

180.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

101.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.79 $47.79

$68.2 MX$1,272

-29.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 $36.43

$53.1 MX$990

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$108 MX$2,009

3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$117 MX$2,186

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$1,113 MX$20.8K

41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$710 MX$13.2K

80.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-3.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$1,406 MX$26.2K

49.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,038 $3,038

$3,631 MX$67.7K

-16.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 $2,428

$2,135 MX$39.8K

13.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,502 $6,502

$946 MX$17.6K

587.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.35

-44.93%

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

Last update for La Plata, MD: 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

La Plata, MD

$1.3K 52.6%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 44.6% $573

Groceries & Markets

La Plata, MD

$398 16.3%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 19.8% $79

Eating Out

La Plata, MD

$255 10.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 22.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata, MD

$213 8.7%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 40.9% $87

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata, MD

$143 5.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 9.3% $13

Getting Around

La Plata, MD

$77 3.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 66.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata, MD

$71 2.9%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 1.5% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in La Plata, MD 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 La Plata, MD are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in La Plata, MD versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Plata, MD

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

15:21 3:21 PM

2 h behind La Plata, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Plata, MD Mexico City 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

La Plata, MD
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

La Plata, MD vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Plata, MD is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,661 per month in La Plata, MD and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,575 in La Plata, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,441 in La Plata, MD and $1,608 in Mexico City. That makes Mexico City about 34% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,441 in La Plata, MD and $1,608 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Plata, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.