Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Apple Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, CA
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Apple Valley, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Apple Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,760

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Apple Valley, CA

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 Apple Valley, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA.

Mexico City $1,674
Apple Valley, CA $2,760

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $3,642 in Apple Valley, CA.

Mexico City $2,606
Apple Valley, CA $3,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $4,524 in Apple Valley, CA.

Mexico City $3,537
Apple Valley, CA $4,524

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 39% less than in Apple Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Apple Valley, CA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$15.16 $15.16

-30.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$35.64 $35.64

45.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$10.11 $10.11

6.13%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.7

$5.12 $5.12

-25.78%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$2.01 $2.01

-19.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$1.51 $1.51

-19.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$4.93 $4.93

-35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$5.71 $5.71

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$0.90 $0.90

91.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$4.01 $4.01

-25.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$2.92 $2.92

-33.90%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$2.01 $2.01

37.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$13.92 $13.92

-16.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$13.95 $13.95

-32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$12.55 $12.55

22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$4.86 $4.86

-36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$2.23 $2.23

-12.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$4.37 $4.37

-54.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$4.99 $4.99

-53.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$4.56 $4.56

-55.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$4.18 $4.18

-56.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$2.17 $2.17

-29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$2.31 $2.31

-43.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$11.14 $11.14

-51.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$13.75 $13.75

17.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$1.67 $1.67

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$2.65 $2.65

64.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$1.87 $1.87

-83.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

$60.0 $60.0

-67.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$3.98 $3.98

-51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.77 $1.77

-73.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$24.27 $24.27

-77.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.44 $1.44

2.78%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$29.6K $29.6K

-27.92%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$26.1K $26.1K

-9.13%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$246 $246

-74.84%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$81.9 $81.9

-65.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$65.3 $65.3

-47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$44.81 $44.81

30.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$11.97 $11.97

-44.95%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$545 $545

-20.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$11.1K $11.1K

26.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$31.13 $31.13

119.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$34.84 $34.84

57.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$73.2 $73.2

51.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,159

$138 $138

-16.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$1,456 $1,456

-18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$1,431 $1,431

-46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$2,368 $2,368

8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$1,849 $1,849

-23.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$2,535 $2,535

41.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$2,168 $2,168

-4.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$4,123 $4,123

-75.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.68

69.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Apple Valley, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Apple Valley, CA

$1.4K 51.9% 85.7% $660

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Apple Valley, CA

$398 14.4% 22.9% $74

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Apple Valley, CA

$263 9.5% 31.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Apple Valley, CA

$125 4.5% 20.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Apple Valley, CA

$394 14.3% 216% $269

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Apple Valley, CA

$69 2.5% 3.9% $2.8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Apple Valley, CA

$80 2.9% 221% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,456 in Apple Valley, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Apple Valley, CA pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $36 in Apple Valley, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $398, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

2 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

50,109

💱 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

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Between locations

Mexico City Apple Valley, CA 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Apple Valley, CA

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 Apple Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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 $1,456 in Apple Valley, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Apple Valley, CA – a meal for two runs $36 versus $52 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $2,760 in Apple Valley, CA – Mexico City is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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