Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,152 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
Learn more

Ames, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ames, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,152 in Ames, IA.

Mexico City $1,674
Ames, IA $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $3,214 in Ames, IA.

Mexico City $2,606
Ames, IA $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $4,277 in Ames, IA.

Mexico City $3,537
Ames, IA $4,277

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 22% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$17.69 $17.69

-40.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$52.7 $52.7

-1.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$11.91 $11.91

-9.91%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.7

$4.86 $4.86

-21.81%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$2.62 $2.62

-38.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$2.30 $2.30

-47.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$4.05 $4.05

-21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$7.13 $7.13

-23.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$0.90 $0.90

91.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$3.61 $3.61

-17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$3.26 $3.26

-40.80%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$3.46 $3.46

-19.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$10.37 $10.37

12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$13.64 $13.64

-30.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$18.55 $18.55

-17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$5.82 $5.82

-46.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.86 $1.86

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$6.48 $6.48

-69.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$5.15 $5.15

-54.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$4.29 $4.29

-52.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$4.07 $4.07

-55.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$2.33 $2.33

-33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$2.54 $2.54

-48.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$9.72 $9.72

-44.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$15.93 $15.93

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$2.90 $2.90

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$5.09 $5.09

-14.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$0.97 $0.97

-69.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

$34.51 $34.51

-43.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$5.02 $5.02

-61.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.73 $1.73

-72.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$23.68 $23.68

-77.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$0.90 $0.90

64.44%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-16.27%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$26.4K $26.4K

-10.17%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$183 $183

-66.08%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$56.2 $56.2

-49.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$69.4 $69.4

-50.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$67.9 $67.9

-14.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

$19.84 $19.84

23.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$14.93 $14.93

-55.86%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$1,337 $1,337

-67.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$10.2K $10.2K

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$55.8 $55.8

22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$44.45 $44.45

23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$88.8 $88.8

24.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,159

$108 $108

7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$1,065 $1,065

10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$834 $834

-7.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$1,787 $1,787

43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$1,445 $1,445

-1.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$2,605 $2,605

37.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$2,115 $2,115

-2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$3,549 $3,549

-71.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.41

77.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Ames, IA

$834 38.8% 8.2% $63

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Ames, IA

$436 20.3% 34.9% $113

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Ames, IA

$290 13.5% 44.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 15.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Ames, IA

$308 14.3% 148% $184

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Ames, IA

$98 4.5% 36.6% $26

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Ames, IA

$52 2.4% 108% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $53 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $436 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

66,427

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Ames, IA 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ames, IA

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

Mexico City vs Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Ames, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $2,152 in Ames, IA – Mexico City is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Ames, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.