Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bethlehem, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Bethlehem, PA

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 Bethlehem, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Bethlehem, PA $2,613

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $3,666 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Bethlehem, PA $3,666

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $4,718 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Bethlehem, PA $4,718

Mexico City is about 38% cheaper than Bethlehem, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Bethlehem, PA sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Bethlehem, PA by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$197

$18.20 $18.20

-41.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$898

$49.94 $49.94

-3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$192

$13.05 $13.05

-20.69%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.5

$5.05 $5.05

-26.93%

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

$1.67 MX$30.95

$2.92 $2.92

-42.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.50

$1.89 $1.89

-32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.3

$5.21 $5.21

-38.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.6

$8.23 $8.23

-35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.03

$1.12 $1.12

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.5

$4.06 $4.06

-25.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.05

$3.92 $3.92

-50.51%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.6

$4.28 $4.28

-32.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$12.02 $12.02

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$16.27 $16.27

-43.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$281

$18.33 $18.33

-17.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.6

$6.14 $6.14

-50.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.05

$1.32 $1.32

46.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.61

$4.22 $4.22

-51.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.99

$4.16 $4.16

-44.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.79

$2.15 $2.15

-5.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.43

$2.62 $2.62

-31.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.47

$2.69 $2.69

-44.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.54

$1.89 $1.89

-32.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.5

$9.78 $9.78

-45.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$299

$17.99 $17.99

-10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.83

$1.72 $1.72

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.0

$6.82 $6.82

-37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.13

$5.04 $5.04

-63.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.91

$2.96 $2.96

-82.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.3

$34.65 $34.65

-84.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.05

$0.98 $0.98

54.08%

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

$21.8K MX$404.0K

$23.2K $23.2K

-6.18%

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

$24.0K MX$445.4K

$24.0K $24.0K

0.04%

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

$63.0 MX$1,170

$207 $207

-69.63%

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

$27.39 MX$509

$39.06 $39.06

-29.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$662

$79.1 $79.1

-54.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,095

$36.66 $36.66

60.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$439

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$14.83 $14.83

-56.84%

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

$432 MX$8,015

$985 $985

-56.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.1K

$64.4K $64.4K

-82.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,267

$54.0 $54.0

26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$987

$30.28 $30.28

75.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,002

$65.8 $65.8

63.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,178

$84.9 $84.9

38.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$1,573 $1,573

-29.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,352 $1,352

-47.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.1K

$2,184 $2,184

18.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.1K

$2,079 $2,079

-32.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.4K

$2,187 $2,187

66.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.6K

$2,119 $2,119

0.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$3,649 $3,649

-74.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.5

74.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 51.7% 90.3% $641

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.7% 36.6% $117

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.8% 54.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Bethlehem, PA

$106 4.1% 32.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$326 12.5% 158% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Bethlehem, PA

$66 2.5% 7.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8% 22.1% $5.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bethlehem, PA are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $50 in Bethlehem, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $437 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🕒 Local time

23:54 11:54 PM

00:54 12:54 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

75,624

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Bethlehem, PA 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Bethlehem, PA

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 Bethlehem, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA – Mexico City comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $3,919 in Bethlehem, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $50 in Bethlehem, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Bethlehem, PA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethlehem, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.