Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Brooklyn, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $32,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Brooklyn, NY, United States
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Brooklyn, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,296
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Brooklyn, NY

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 Brooklyn, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Brooklyn, NY $4,296

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $6,424 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Brooklyn, NY $6,424

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $8,552 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Brooklyn, NY $8,552

Mexico City is about 63% cheaper than Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Brooklyn, NY sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Brooklyn, NY by 216%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$200
$20.33 $20.33
-47.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$909
$106 $106
-54.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$12.22 $12.22
-15.30%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.4
$5.76 $5.76
-35.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.32
$2.63 $2.63
-36.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.78
$2.28 $2.28
-44.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$60.0
$8.09 $8.09
-60.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.7
$9.07 $9.07
-41.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.41
$1.61 $1.61
6.83%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$4.63 $4.63
-34.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$7.02 $7.02
-72.36%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.3
$6.23 $6.23
-53.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$16.37 $16.37
-32.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$16.84 $16.84
-45.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$20.28 $20.28
-25.39%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.3
$7.80 $7.80
-60.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$3.70 $3.70
-47.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.06
$5.31 $5.31
-61.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.50
$5.86 $5.86
-60.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.25
$3.96 $3.96
-48.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.83
$4.68 $4.68
-61.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.80
$2.62 $2.62
-43.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.82
$2.55 $2.55
-50.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.7
$14.93 $14.93
-64.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$303
$21.09 $21.09
-23.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.27
$2.70 $2.70
-26.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.9
$3.39 $3.39
25.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$3.02 $3.02
-89.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$178 $178
-88.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.53
$2.92 $2.92
-36.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.03
$2.19 $2.19
-75.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.5
$42.28 $42.28
-87.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.39
$1.15 $1.15
31.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.8K
$31.4K $31.4K
-30.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.8K
$25.8K $25.8K
-6.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,184
$243 $243
-74.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$515
$60.0 $60.0
-54.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$61.5 $61.5
-42.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,108
$123 $123
-52.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$34.67 $34.67
-31.81%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$19.82 $19.82
-67.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,111
$3,118 $3,118
-86.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.7K
$35.0K $35.0K
-67.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,282
$70.0 $70.0
-2.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$999
$74.9 $74.9
-29.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,026
$118 $118
-8.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,204
$120 $120
-2.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$3,810 $3,810
-70.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
$2,499 $2,499
-71.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$7,773 $7,773
-66.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$4,490 $4,490
-68.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$12.3K $12.3K
-70.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$7,490 $7,490
-71.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Brooklyn, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$3,579 $3,579
-73.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
6.67
70.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Brooklyn, NY
$2.5K 252% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Brooklyn, NY
$546 70.9% $227
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Brooklyn, NY
$347 74.5% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Brooklyn, NY
$172 10.5% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Brooklyn, NY
$364 189% $238
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Brooklyn, NY
$163 127% $91
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Brooklyn, NY
$204 703% $179

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $3,810 in Brooklyn, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brooklyn, NY are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $106 in Brooklyn, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $546 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY
🕒 Local time
04:48 4:48 AM
05:48 5:48 AM
1 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
2,736,074
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Brooklyn, NY 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Brooklyn, NY

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 Brooklyn, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Brooklyn, NY compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY – Mexico City comes out roughly 63% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Brooklyn, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $6,444 in Brooklyn, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Brooklyn, NY?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $3,810 in Brooklyn, NY.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $106 in Brooklyn, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mexico City or Brooklyn, NY?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY. That makes Mexico City about 63% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,296. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Brooklyn, NY?
It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $4,296 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Brooklyn, NY?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?