Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Athens, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,669 in Athens, OH, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Athens, OH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,669 in Athens, OH.

Mexico City $1,548
Athens, OH $1,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,495 in Athens, OH.

Mexico City $2,436
Athens, OH $2,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,320 in Athens, OH.

Mexico City $3,323
Athens, OH $3,320

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 7% less than in Athens, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Athens, OH 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$14.74 $14.74

-25.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$49.20 $49.20

-1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$10.18 $10.18

7.07%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$4.98 $4.98

-26.10%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.25 $2.25

-27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.41 $1.41

-11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$4.93 $4.93

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$7.03 $7.03

-21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.69 $0.69

146.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.06 $2.06

46.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$3.01 $3.01

-36.21%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.25 $4.25

-35.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$12.64 $12.64

-6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$8.63 $8.63

10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$16.20 $16.20

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.60 $3.60

-16.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$0.96 $0.96

96.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.79 $2.79

-28.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$2.96 $2.96

-26.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.69 $1.69

13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.18 $2.18

-14.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.66 $1.66

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$1.92 $1.92

-33.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$9.09 $9.09

-42.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$14.83 $14.83

9.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.14 $2.14

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.10 $3.10

36.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.02 $1.02

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$3.86 $3.86

-48.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.27 $1.27

-59.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$25.15 $25.15

-78.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.87 $0.87

74.71%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$36.3K $36.3K

-39.14%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-6.04%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$150 $150

-59.21%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$29.86 $29.86

-4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$48.41 $48.41

-28.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$11.85 $11.85

-43.80%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,476 $1,476

-71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$19.5K $19.5K

-40.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$46.08 $46.08

47.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$45.56 $45.56

14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$65.4 $65.4

62.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$108 $108

4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,313 $1,313

-21.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$701 $701

-6.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,471 $1,471

56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,216 $1,216

2.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,644 $1,644

119.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,650 $1,650

17.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$3,377 $3,377

-71.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.59

71.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Athens, OH: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Athens, OH

$701 42% 7.1% $46

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Athens, OH

$322 19.3% 1.1% $3.5

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Athens, OH

$262 15.7% 28.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Athens, OH

$119 7.2% 21.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Athens, OH

$228 13.7% 83.7% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4% 66% $46

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9% 44.3% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,313 in Athens, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays 250% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $49.00 in Athens, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $322 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

115,452

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Athens, OH 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 250% lower in Athens, OH. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,313 in Athens, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Athens, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $1,669 in Athens, OH – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,669 in Athens, OH, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Athens, OH. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Athens, OH, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Athens, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.