Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Mexico City $1,548
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Mexico City $2,436
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Mexico City $3,323
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$20.63 $20.63

-46.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$84.6 $84.6

-42.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$12.07 $12.07

-9.69%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.48 $5.48

-32.85%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$3.80 $3.80

-57.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.47 $2.47

-49.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$8.05 $8.05

-59.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$8.88 $8.88

-37.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.11 $1.11

53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.72 $3.72

-18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$3.37 $3.37

-43.03%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.32 $4.32

-36.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$13.13 $13.13

-10.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$14.15 $14.15

-32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$16.33 $16.33

-11.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.55 $4.55

-33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.46 $1.46

29.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$4.71 $4.71

-57.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.15 $4.15

-47.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.58 $2.58

-25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.35 $2.35

-20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.77 $1.77

-18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.14 $2.14

-40.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$10.10 $10.10

-48.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$15.19 $15.19

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.82 $2.82

-32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.44 $3.44

22.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.54 $1.54

-77.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$40.99 $40.99

-52.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.80 $2.80

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.60 $1.60

-67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$34.34 $34.34

-84.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.94 $0.94

61.70%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-35.03%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-8.43%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$223 $223

-72.57%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$58.9 $58.9

-51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$70.6 $70.6

-51.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$57.7 $57.7

-2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$16.53 $16.53

50.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$14.26 $14.26

-53.30%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,511 $1,511

-71.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$20.9K $20.9K

-44.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$51.3 $51.3

32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$44.17 $44.17

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$87.0 $87.0

21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$104 $104

7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,940 $1,940

-47.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,316 $1,316

-50.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$3,664 $3,664

-37.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$2,565 $2,565

-51.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$7,354 $7,354

-50.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$3,129 $3,129

-38.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$5,286 $5,286

-81.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.79

66.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 101% $662

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 27.6% $88

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 71.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 15.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 184% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 23.7% $17

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 126% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 448% 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $406 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

974,447

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Austin, TX 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 448% lower in Austin, TX. 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 $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 109% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,548 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.