Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,435 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
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Malden, MA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,435

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,435 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,435
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $4,750 per month in Malden, MA vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,750
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $6,065 per month in Malden, MA vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,065
Mexico City $3,490

Malden, MA costs about 114% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malden, MA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Malden, MA by 152%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.65 $19.65

$10.62 MX$200

85.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 $95.0

$48.35 MX$909

96.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.72 $13.72

$10.35 MX$194

32.56%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$3.69 MX$69.4

43.90%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.67 MX$31.32

77.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.27 MX$23.78

75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.19 MX$60.0

78.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.31 MX$99.7

52.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.72 MX$32.41

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.04 MX$57.1

28.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$1.94 MX$36.48

182.99%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$2.89 MX$54.3

65.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.97 MX$206

12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$9.25 MX$174

51.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$15.13 MX$284

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.05 MX$57.3

117.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.94 MX$36.48

-11.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.03 MX$38.06

171.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$2.31 MX$43.50

138.10%

Potato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.04 MX$38.25

116.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.80 MX$33.83

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.48 MX$27.80

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.27 MX$23.82

75.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 $13.06

$5.30 MX$99.7

146.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.43 $13.43

$16.10 MX$303

-16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.98 MX$37.27

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.25 MX$79.9

3.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.31 MX$5.73

722.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

$19.73 MX$371

347.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.84 MX$34.53

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.53 MX$10.03

237.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.47 $27.47

$5.30 MX$99.5

418.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.51 MX$28.39

-27.81%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

28.41%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

11.50%

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

$247 $247

$63.0 MX$1,184

291.76%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$27.39 MX$515

97.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$35.67 MX$670

141.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.66 $34.66

$58.9 MX$1,108

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$15.85 $15.85

$6.40 MX$120

147.66%

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

$1,848 $1,848

$432 MX$8,111

328.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

157.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$68.2 MX$1,282

-17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 $37.57

$53.1 MX$999

-29.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$108 MX$2,026

-26.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$117 MX$2,204

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 $2,422

$1,113 MX$20.9K

117.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 $1,975

$710 MX$13.4K

177.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,534 $3,534

$2,588 MX$48.6K

36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,834 $2,834

$1,406 MX$26.4K

101.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,644 $4,644

$946 MX$17.8K

390.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.35

-41.50%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: 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

Malden, MA

$2K 57.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 64% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$446 13%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 28.4% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$387 11.3%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 67.4% $261

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$327 9.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 39.3% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$123 3.6%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 26.9% $33

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$110 3.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 76.8% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 8.1% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,422 in Malden, MA 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 Malden, MA are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Malden, MA versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

1 h behind Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

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 = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Malden, 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

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

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,152 per month in Malden, MA 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 $2,422 in Malden, MA.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,848 per month in Malden, MA and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Malden, MA at $3,435. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malden, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Malden, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.