Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,522 in Merrillville, IN, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,522

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,522 in Merrillville, IN versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Merrillville, IN $2,522
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,513 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Merrillville, IN $3,513
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Merrillville, IN versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Merrillville, IN $4,505
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Merrillville, IN is roughly 57% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merrillville, IN 85% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$10.62 MX$198

41.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 $55.8

$48.35 MX$901

15.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.35 MX$193

-3.96%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$3.69 MX$68.8

21.41%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$1.67 MX$31.07

35.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.27 MX$23.59

74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.19 MX$59.5

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.31 MX$98.9

12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.72 MX$32.15

-57.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.04 MX$56.7

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.94 MX$36.19

143.30%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$2.89 MX$53.8

63.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.97 MX$205

1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$9.25 MX$172

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.23 $22.23

$15.13 MX$282

46.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.05 MX$56.8

89.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.94 MX$36.19

-42.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.03 MX$37.75

116.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.31 MX$43.15

145.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.04 MX$37.94

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.80 MX$33.55

141.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.48 MX$27.58

64.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.27 MX$23.63

-3.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 $11.07

$5.30 MX$98.9

108.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$16.10 MX$300

-26.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.98 MX$36.97

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.25 MX$79.3

-18.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.31 MX$5.69

464.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 $67.2

$19.73 MX$368

240.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.84 MX$34.25

166.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.53 MX$9.94

241.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$5.30 MX$98.7

844.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.51 MX$28.16

-39.07%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$21.8K MX$405.5K

25.34%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.0K MX$447.1K

8.35%

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

$233 $233

$63.0 MX$1,174

270.51%

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

$50.5 $50.5

$27.39 MX$511

84.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$35.67 MX$665

67.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 $37.20

$58.9 MX$1,099

-36.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$6.40 MX$119

132.03%

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

$1,353 $1,353

$432 MX$8,045

213.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

108.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$68.2 MX$1,272

-21.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 $40.27

$53.1 MX$990

-24.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$108 MX$2,009

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 $95.5

$117 MX$2,186

-18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 $1,400

$1,113 MX$20.8K

25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$710 MX$13.2K

75.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-2.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 $1,796

$1,406 MX$26.2K

27.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,837 $2,837

$3,631 MX$67.7K

-21.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 $2,031

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-4.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.35

-42.47%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merrillville, IN

$1.2K 49.3%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 42.9% $534

Groceries & Markets

Merrillville, IN

$390 15.5%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 18% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merrillville, IN

$344 13.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 63.3% $218

Eating Out

Merrillville, IN

$255 10.1%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 22.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Merrillville, IN

$134 5.3%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 16.4% $22

Getting Around

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 71.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 7.2% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Merrillville, IN and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Merrillville, IN vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

1 h behind Merrillville, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,444

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Merrillville, IN Mexico City 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Merrillville, IN
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

Merrillville, IN vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merrillville, IN and Mexico City differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($2,522 vs $1,608 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,783 in Merrillville, IN and $2,412 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,400 in Merrillville, IN versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,353 in Merrillville, IN 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 22% higher in Merrillville, IN. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Merrillville, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.