Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,378 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,829 in Long Beach, CA versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,280 in Long Beach, CA versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Long Beach, CA is roughly 130% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Beach, CA 152% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 $18.11

$13.30 MX$231

36.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$53.8 MX$932

48.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$9.42 MX$163

59.87%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.59 MX$62.3

43.45%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.62 MX$28.13

80.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 MX$19.49

101.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 $7.31

$3.25 MX$56.3

124.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.65 MX$80.6

74.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.64 MX$28.37

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.65 MX$46.00

53.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.96 MX$33.99

119.90%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$2.54 MX$44.08

51.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$9.97 MX$173

23.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$8.39 MX$145

52.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$11.83 MX$205

28.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.86 MX$49.62

59.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.73 MX$30.05

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.99 MX$34.50

104.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.05 MX$35.51

138.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.06 MX$35.64

45.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.28 MX$39.54

8.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.45 MX$25.05

43.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.09 MX$18.83

97.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 $11.12

$4.27 MX$73.9

160.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.67 MX$254

2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.76 MX$30.58

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.57 MX$61.8

-29.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.38 MX$6.67

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.8 $67.8

$18.73 MX$325

261.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.39 MX$24.09

112.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.39 $4.39

$0.30 MX$5.26

1363.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 $27.74

$5.41 MX$93.8

412.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.34 MX$23.22

-2.99%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

34.49%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

18.31%

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

$159 $159

$40.30 MX$698

294.67%

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

$53.0 $53.0

$27.15 MX$471

95.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$29.46 MX$510

98.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 $38.98

$52.7 MX$914

-26.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 $15.01

$6.18 MX$107

142.88%

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

$1,490 $1,490

$441 MX$7,637

238.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.7K $28.7K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

167.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.11 $48.11

$57.2 MX$992

-15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.79 $33.79

$45.04 MX$781

-24.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$103 MX$1,793

-3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$109 MX$1,884

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,384 $2,384

$1,000 MX$17.3K

138.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,078 $2,078

$632 MX$11.0K

228.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,611 $3,611

$2,141 MX$37.1K

68.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,343 $3,343

$1,253 MX$21.7K

166.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,131 $7,131

$3,745 MX$64.9K

90.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,865 $6,865

$2,381 MX$41.3K

188.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,425 $4,425

$1,079 MX$18.7K

310.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.34

-43.65%

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

Last update for Long Beach, CA: April 22, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,384 in Long Beach, CA and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Beach, CA pays 310% 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: $80 in Long Beach, CA vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $286 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

Long Beach, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Long Beach, CA and Mexico City differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($3,378 vs $1,466 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Long Beach, CA pays 310% more on average, 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: $2,384 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,000 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 $54.0 versus $80.0 in Long Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,378 per month in Long Beach, CA versus $1,466 in Mexico City – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $3,378 in Long Beach, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Long Beach, CA. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Long Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.