Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakewood, WA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,284 in Lakewood, WA versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Lakewood, WA $3,284
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,777 in Lakewood, WA versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Lakewood, WA $4,777
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,270 in Lakewood, WA versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Lakewood, WA $6,270
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Lakewood, WA is roughly 112% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lakewood, WA 142% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$11.02 MX$204

64.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$48.68 MX$900

38.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$10.90 MX$201

16.61%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$3.68 MX$68.1

41.30%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.63 MX$30.18

82.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.25 MX$23.07

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.25 MX$60.1

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.53 MX$102

10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.70 MX$31.50

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.02 MX$55.8

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.92 MX$35.53

120.83%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$2.73 MX$50.5

43.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$11.77 MX$218

16.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$9.53 MX$176

-8.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$14.41 MX$266

-22.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.02 MX$55.8

45.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.89 MX$35.01

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.99 MX$36.70

109.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.19 MX$40.38

106.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.92 MX$35.43

2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.87 MX$34.49

14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.44 MX$26.62

40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.27 MX$23.39

96.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$5.22 MX$96.4

136.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$16.17 MX$299

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.90 MX$35.03

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.22 MX$78.0

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.34 MX$6.30

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$197 $197

$19.65 MX$363

901.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.00 MX$36.90

1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$0.52 MX$9.67

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$5.34 MX$98.7

411.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.52 MX$28.13

-11.84%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

27.27%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

7.33%

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

$289 $289

$61.1 MX$1,129

372.79%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$28.58 MX$528

158.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$34.47 MX$637

159.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$56.4 MX$1,042

-27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 $24.97

$24.88 MX$460

0.36%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 $18.08

$6.66 MX$123

171.47%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$427 MX$7,891

360.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

120.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$67.8 MX$1,253

-26.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$52.0 MX$960

-26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$106 MX$1,959

-5.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$113 MX$2,080

20.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$1,025 MX$18.9K

91.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$654 MX$12.1K

164.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,365 $3,365

$2,308 MX$42.7K

45.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$1,242 MX$22.9K

145.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-34.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$1,936 MX$35.8K

34.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

11.3

-39.73%

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

Last update for Lakewood, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 62.2% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8%

Mexico City

$124 8% 72.6% $328

Groceries & Markets

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 13.7% $51

Eating Out

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 31.4% $93

Getting Around

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 87.8% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 4.3% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 9.7% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,961 in Lakewood, WA and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Lakewood, WA vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

1 h ahead of Lakewood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,024

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lakewood, WA Mexico City 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lakewood, WA
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

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

Lakewood, WA and Mexico City differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($3,284 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,926 in Lakewood, WA and $2,322 in Mexico City 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: $1,961 in Lakewood, WA versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $68.0 in Lakewood, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,284 per month in Lakewood, WA versus $1,548 in Mexico City – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Lakewood, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Lakewood, WA and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Lakewood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.