Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,248 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,248

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,248 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Manhattan, KS $2,248
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,250 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Manhattan, KS $3,250
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,252 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Manhattan, KS $4,252
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Manhattan, KS is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manhattan, KS 65% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 $14.90

$10.62 MX$200

40.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$48.35 MX$909

68.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$10.35 MX$194

17.97%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.69 MX$69.4

47.15%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$1.67 MX$31.32

22.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.27 MX$23.78

14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.19 MX$60.0

53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$5.31 MX$99.7

74.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.72 MX$32.41

-45.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.04 MX$57.1

8.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$1.94 MX$36.48

209.79%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$2.89 MX$54.3

58.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$10.97 MX$206

4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$9.25 MX$174

-7.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.13 MX$284

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$3.05 MX$57.3

120.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.94 MX$36.48

11.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.03 MX$38.06

189.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.31 MX$43.50

82.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.04 MX$38.25

68.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.80 MX$33.83

113.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.48 MX$27.80

24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.27 MX$23.82

103.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$5.30 MX$99.7

70.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.94 $16.94

$16.10 MX$303

5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.98 MX$37.27

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$4.25 MX$79.9

-39.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$19.73 MX$371

207.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.84 MX$34.53

164.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.53 MX$10.03

243.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.66 $34.66

$5.30 MX$99.5

553.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.51 MX$28.39

-43.71%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

28.63%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

7.46%

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

$147 $147

$63.0 MX$1,184

133.46%

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

$46.90 $46.90

$27.39 MX$515

71.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$35.67 MX$670

85.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 $76.0

$58.9 MX$1,108

29.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$6.40 MX$120

130.47%

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

$814 $814

$432 MX$8,111

88.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K $11.3K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-1.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.85 $47.85

$68.2 MX$1,282

-29.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 $35.46

$53.1 MX$999

-33.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$108 MX$2,026

-15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$117 MX$2,204

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$710 MX$13.4K

40.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-43.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 $1,412

$1,406 MX$26.4K

0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,514 $1,514

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-58.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 $1,504

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-29.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,407 $3,407

$946 MX$17.8K

260.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

11.35

-44.23%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: 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

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 28.8% $287

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$402 17.9%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 20.4% $82

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$278 12.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 28.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$260 11.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 51.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$131 5.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 19.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$106 4.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 32% $34

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 65.9% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Manhattan, KS and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Manhattan, KS vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Manhattan, KS Mexico City 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Manhattan, KS is about 3.6 times higher, 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: $900 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $814 in Manhattan, KS versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Manhattan, KS on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.