Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,623 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,623 per month in Lowell, MA vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Lowell, MA $2,623
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $4,189 per month in Lowell, MA vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Lowell, MA $4,189
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $5,755 per month in Lowell, MA vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Lowell, MA $5,755
Mexico City $3,537

Lowell, MA costs about 57% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lowell, MA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Lowell, MA by 94%, Mexico City by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 $16.58

$10.59 MX$197

56.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$52.0 MX$967

36.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$10.73 MX$200

-18.08%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.80 MX$70.6

30.26%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.61 MX$30.01

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.21 MX$22.55

35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.18 MX$59.1

59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$5.44 MX$101

44.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.72 MX$31.96

-49.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.97 MX$55.2

-25.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.93 MX$35.84

176.68%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.77 MX$51.6

41.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$11.67 MX$217

-3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$9.48 MX$176

-6.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 $17.87

$15.37 MX$286

16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.10 MX$57.8

-11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.96 MX$36.49

-37.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$1.98 MX$36.88

233.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.34 MX$43.46

141.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.02 MX$37.66

-20.30%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.82 MX$33.95

137.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.54 MX$28.74

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.31 MX$24.42

70.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$5.35 MX$99.6

159.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 $13.77

$16.19 MX$301

-14.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.96 MX$36.46

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.35 MX$81.0

-10.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.30 MX$5.67

516.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$19.49 MX$363

180.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.92 MX$35.68

101.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.47 MX$8.80

259.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 $28.74

$5.41 MX$101

431.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.48 MX$27.61

-39.19%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.4K MX$397.7K

26.88%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.8K MX$442.1K

14.02%

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

$188 $188

$62.0 MX$1,154

202.58%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$28.47 MX$530

83.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$34.11 MX$635

94.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.27 $39.27

$58.4 MX$1,087

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.32 $12.32

$24.50 MX$456

-49.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$6.59 MX$123

113.51%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$434 MX$8,081

221.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.3K $44.3K

$14.0K MX$261.2K

215.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$68.4 MX$1,272

-16.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.87 $37.87

$54.8 MX$1,020

-30.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$111 MX$2,063

-29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 $70.5

$116 MX$2,158

-39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 $1,647

$1,179 MX$21.9K

39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$771 MX$14.3K

84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,643 $3,643

$2,570 MX$47.8K

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$1,420 MX$26.4K

118.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 $3,527

$3,586 MX$66.7K

-1.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,540 $3,540

$2,064 MX$38.4K

71.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,031 $4,031

$1,003 MX$18.7K

302.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.35

-46.26%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lowell, MA

$1.4K 54.2%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 45.8% $652

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$368 14.1%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 12.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$306 11.7%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 59.3% $182

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$274 10.5%

Mexico City

$201 12% 26.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.2%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 43.5% $48

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$74 2.8%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 66.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$67 2.6%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 6.1% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,647 in Lowell, MA versus $1,179 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 Lowell, MA are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Lowell, MA versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $324 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

1 h behind Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Lowell, MA Mexico City 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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

Lowell, MA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lowell, MA is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,934 per month in Lowell, MA and $2,510 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 $1,179 there versus $1,647 in Lowell, MA.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,396 per month in Lowell, MA and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,623 in Lowell, MA and $1,674 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, Lowell, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.