Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Big Rapids, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $1,938 in Big Rapids, MI, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Big Rapids, MI
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Big Rapids, MI Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Big Rapids, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Big Rapids, MI

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 Big Rapids, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,938 in Big Rapids, MI.

Mexico City $1,561
Big Rapids, MI $1,938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $2,811 in Big Rapids, MI.

Mexico City $2,440
Big Rapids, MI $2,811

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $3,684 in Big Rapids, MI.

Mexico City $3,319
Big Rapids, MI $3,684

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 19% less than in Big Rapids, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Big Rapids, MI 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$18.18 $18.18

-38.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$58.9 $58.9

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$8.20 $8.20

36.95%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$5.12 $5.12

-26.56%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$2.98 $2.98

-44.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$2.17 $2.17

-41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$6.68 $6.68

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$7.88 $7.88

-28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$0.90 $0.90

101.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$3.35 $3.35

-12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$2.14 $2.14

-4.21%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$3.70 $3.70

-20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$16.36 $16.36

-26.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$13.25 $13.25

-28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$14.59 $14.59

1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$3.38 $3.38

-7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$0.62 $0.62

224.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$3.71 $3.71

-43.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$4.34 $4.34

-48.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$2.31 $2.31

-10.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$2.73 $2.73

-31.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$2.29 $2.29

-35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$1.96 $1.96

-31.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$10.21 $10.21

-47.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$13.35 $13.35

26.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$2.17 $2.17

-8.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$2.88 $2.88

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$2.05 $2.05

-83.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$23.63 $23.63

-14.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$3.03 $3.03

-30.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$1.53 $1.53

-65.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$26.52 $26.52

-79.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$1.06 $1.06

43.40%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$35.3K $35.3K

-38.36%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$23.6K $23.6K

5.02%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$198 $198

-68.22%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$57.7 $57.7

-49.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$71.1 $71.1

-52.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$40.00 $40.00

39.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$12.75 $12.75

-46.90%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$2,059 $2,059

-79.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$20.0K $20.0K

-40.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$56.7 $56.7

23.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$35.03 $35.03

53.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$85.7 $85.7

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$106 $106

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$882 $882

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$678 $678

-1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$1,552 $1,552

53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$1,061 $1,061

18.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$3,020 $3,020

23.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$2,732 $2,732

-27.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.68

98.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Big Rapids, MI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Big Rapids, MI

$678 35.4% 1% $7

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Big Rapids, MI

$370 19.4% 13.3% $44

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Big Rapids, MI

$301 15.8% 45.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Big Rapids, MI

$128 6.7% 18.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Big Rapids, MI

$327 17.1% 160% $201

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Big Rapids, MI

$66 3.4% 5.5% $3.8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Big Rapids, MI

$43 2.2% 61.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $882 in Big Rapids, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in Big Rapids, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $370 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Big Rapids, MI

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

10,565

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 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 Big Rapids, MI 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Big Rapids, MI

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 Big Rapids, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,341 in Mexico City and $2,907 in Big Rapids, MI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $882 in Big Rapids, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Big Rapids, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $59.0 in Big Rapids, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,938 in Big Rapids, MI, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Big Rapids, MI. 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 Big Rapids, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Big Rapids, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Big Rapids, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.