Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McLean, VA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,998 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
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McLean, VA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,998 per month in McLean, VA vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

McLean, VA $2,998
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $4,767 per month in McLean, VA vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

McLean, VA $4,767
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $6,536 per month in McLean, VA vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

McLean, VA $6,536
Mexico City $3,323

McLean, VA costs about 94% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both McLean, VA and Mexico City sit above the global median – McLean, VA by 121%, Mexico City by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 $16.76

$11.02 MX$204

52.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 $69.9

$48.68 MX$900

43.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 $11.58

$10.90 MX$201

6.24%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.68 MX$68.1

48.10%

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

$2.34 $2.34

$1.63 MX$30.18

43.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.25 MX$23.07

56.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.25 MX$60.1

177.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$5.53 MX$102

82.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.70 MX$31.50

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.02 MX$55.8

34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.92 MX$35.53

15.10%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$2.73 MX$50.5

71.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$11.77 MX$218

47.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$9.53 MX$176

78.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 $18.31

$14.41 MX$266

27.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$3.02 MX$55.8

110.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.89 MX$35.01

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$1.99 MX$36.70

153.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.19 MX$40.38

162.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.92 MX$35.43

51.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.87 MX$34.49

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.44 MX$26.62

79.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.27 MX$23.39

108.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 $14.26

$5.22 MX$96.4

173.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 $15.69

$16.17 MX$299

-2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.90 MX$35.03

67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 $5.64

$4.22 MX$78.0

33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.34 MX$6.30

623.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.00 MX$36.90

98.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.52 MX$9.67

203.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.19 $25.19

$5.34 MX$98.7

371.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.52 MX$28.13

-40.13%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

57.43%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

5.62%

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

$207 $207

$61.1 MX$1,129

239.35%

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

$75.4 $75.4

$28.58 MX$528

163.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 $55.6

$34.47 MX$637

61.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 $90.6

$56.4 MX$1,042

60.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$18.26 $18.26

$6.66 MX$123

174.17%

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

$1,940 $1,940

$427 MX$7,891

354.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.8K $41.8K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

259.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$67.8 MX$1,253

-23.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 $44.07

$52.0 MX$960

-15.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 $68.9

$106 MX$1,959

-35.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.0 $66.0

$113 MX$2,080

-41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,836 $2,836

$1,025 MX$18.9K

176.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 $1,610

$654 MX$12.1K

146.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,942 $3,942

$2,308 MX$42.7K

70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,506 $3,506

$1,242 MX$22.9K

182.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,722 $5,722

$964 MX$17.8K

493.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.3

-41.33%

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

Last update for McLean, VA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.7%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 59.4% $956

Groceries & Markets

McLean, VA

$480 16%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 33.7% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McLean, VA

$338 11.3%

Mexico City

$124 8% 63.3% $214

Eating Out

McLean, VA

$317 10.6%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 35.6% $113

Sport & Entertainment

McLean, VA

$127 4.2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 45.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

McLean, VA

$104 3.5%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 46.5% $48

Getting Around

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 18.1% $3.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,836 in McLean, VA versus $1,025 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 run about 494% higher in McLean, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in McLean, VA versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $318 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

2 h behind McLean, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,115

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

McLean, VA Mexico City 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

McLean, VA
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

McLean, VA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,998 in McLean, VA, $1,548 in Mexico City – roughly 94% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,496 per month in McLean, VA and $2,322 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,998 in McLean, VA and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 94%.

Kindergarten costs $1,940 per month in McLean, VA and $427 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in McLean, VA at $2,998. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in McLean, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Mexico City to $2,998 in McLean, VA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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