Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,501 in Memphis, TN, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Memphis, TN
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Memphis, TN Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Memphis, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,501

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Memphis, TN $2,501
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $3,673 per month in Memphis, TN vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Memphis, TN $3,673
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $4,844 per month in Memphis, TN vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Memphis, TN $4,844
Mexico City $3,333

Memphis, TN costs about 60% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Memphis, TN and Mexico City sit above the global median – Memphis, TN by 85%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 $17.99

$10.75 MX$199

67.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$50.3 MX$929

48.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$11.10 MX$205

9.55%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$3.68 MX$68.1

54.35%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$1.65 MX$30.42

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.30 MX$24.08

53.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.32 MX$61.3

114.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.54 MX$102

44.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.77 MX$32.68

-46.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.05 MX$56.4

3.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.01 MX$37.20

97.01%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.77 MX$51.1

36.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.91 MX$220

10.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$9.33 MX$172

22.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.84 $18.84

$15.02 MX$278

25.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$3.08 MX$56.8

84.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.95 MX$35.97

-12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.03 MX$37.54

181.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.21 MX$40.92

125.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.02 MX$37.41

55.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.82 MX$33.67

129.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.52 MX$28.07

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.28 MX$23.65

68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 $10.87

$5.27 MX$97.4

106.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 $12.94

$16.12 MX$298

-19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.95 MX$36.05

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.25 MX$78.6

-62.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.31 MX$5.82

229.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.55 $38.55

$19.85 MX$367

94.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.00 MX$36.93

1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.53 MX$9.86

166.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.36 $20.36

$5.62 MX$104

262.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.52 MX$28.07

-32.89%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

77.57%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

7.57%

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

$187 $187

$62.5 MX$1,155

199.49%

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

$86.3 $86.3

$28.77 MX$532

199.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$34.45 MX$637

120.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.47 $31.47

$57.1 MX$1,055

-44.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 $16.62

$24.81 MX$458

-33.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$6.67 MX$123

121.29%

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

$1,720 $1,720

$431 MX$7,964

299.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

111.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.08 $47.08

$70.8 MX$1,308

-33.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 $33.58

$51.8 MX$958

-35.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 $82.2

$109 MX$2,011

-24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$112 MX$2,076

38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$1,051 MX$19.4K

37.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 $1,175

$665 MX$12.3K

76.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,227 MX$22.7K

54.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 $1,755

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-50.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,351 $1,351

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-31.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,523 $3,523

$975 MX$18.0K

261.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

11.3

-41.59%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Memphis, TN

$1.2K 47%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 43.4% $510

Groceries & Markets

Memphis, TN

$404 16.1%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 20.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Memphis, TN

$349 14%

Mexico City

$126 8% 64% $224

Eating Out

Memphis, TN

$318 12.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 36.1% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Memphis, TN

$143 5.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 7.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Memphis, TN

$61 2.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 15.5% $9.4

Getting Around

Memphis, TN

$52 2.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 50.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,448 in Memphis, TN versus $1,051 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 262% higher in Memphis, TN, 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 $74.0 in Memphis, TN versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $323 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Memphis, TN

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

16:56 4:56 PM

1 h behind Memphis, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

633,104

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Memphis, TN Mexico City 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Memphis, TN
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

Memphis, TN vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,501 in Memphis, TN, $1,567 in Mexico City – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,752 per month in Memphis, TN and $2,351 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.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,720 per month in Memphis, TN and $431 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 $1,567, than in Memphis, TN at $2,501. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Memphis, TN 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 $1,567 in Mexico City to $2,501 in Memphis, TN. 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, Memphis, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.