Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,972 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,972 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,972
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,286 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,286
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $5,600 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,600
Mexico City $3,490

Madison, WI costs about 85% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madison, WI and Mexico City sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 118%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$10.62 MX$200

85.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$48.35 MX$909

40.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$10.35 MX$194

24.54%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.69 MX$69.4

56.37%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.67 MX$31.32

85.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.27 MX$23.78

98.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.19 MX$60.0

123.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.31 MX$99.7

47.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.72 MX$32.41

-43.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.04 MX$57.1

15.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.94 MX$36.48

120.10%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.89 MX$54.3

28.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 $15.06

$10.97 MX$206

37.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$9.25 MX$174

40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 $20.45

$15.13 MX$284

35.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.05 MX$57.3

56.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.94 MX$36.48

-18.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.03 MX$38.06

153.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.31 MX$43.50

114.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.04 MX$38.25

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.80 MX$33.83

73.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.48 MX$27.80

39.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.27 MX$23.82

93.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$5.30 MX$99.7

106.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 $15.40

$16.10 MX$303

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.98 MX$37.27

39.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.25 MX$79.9

4.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.31 MX$5.73

525.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 $66.2

$19.73 MX$371

235.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.84 MX$34.53

122.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.53 MX$10.03

271.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.65 $43.65

$5.30 MX$99.5

723.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.51 MX$28.39

-30.46%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

38.48%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

5.41%

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

$269 $269

$63.0 MX$1,184

327.48%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$27.39 MX$515

92.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$35.67 MX$670

128.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 $54.2

$58.9 MX$1,108

-7.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 $10.52

$23.64 MX$444

-55.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$6.40 MX$120

131.25%

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

$1,621 $1,621

$432 MX$8,111

275.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

105.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$68.2 MX$1,282

-4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$53.1 MX$999

-4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$108 MX$2,026

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$117 MX$2,204

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 $1,807

$1,113 MX$20.9K

62.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 $1,469

$710 MX$13.4K

106.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,184 $3,184

$2,588 MX$48.6K

23.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,406 MX$26.4K

72.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,596 $4,596

$3,631 MX$68.2K

26.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$2,135 MX$40.1K

13.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,521 $4,521

$946 MX$17.8K

377.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.35

-41.06%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 51.6% $758

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$433 14.6%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 26.3% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$404 13.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 68.8% $278

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$339 11.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 41.4% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$155 5.2%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 0.5% $0.8

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 71% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$84 2.8%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 14.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,807 in Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Madison, WI versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

Same time as Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Madison, WI Mexico City 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
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

Madison, WI vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,972 in Madison, WI, $1,608 in Mexico City – Mexico City comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,457 per month in Madison, WI 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 $1,807 in Madison, WI.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,621 per month in Madison, WI and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $2,972 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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