Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Burbank, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,707 in Burbank, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Burbank, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,707
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Burbank, CA

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 Burbank, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $3,707 in Burbank, CA, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Burbank, CA $3,707

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $3,570 in Burbank, CA, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Burbank, CA $3,570

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $3,432 in Burbank, CA, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Burbank, CA $3,432

Mexico City is about 58% cheaper than Burbank, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Burbank, CA sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Burbank, CA by 174%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$24.79 $24.79
-55.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$76.9 $76.9
-36.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$14.71 $14.71
-25.90%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$5.83 $5.83
-36.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$3.64 $3.64
-55.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$2.69 $2.69
-53.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$7.90 $7.90
-58.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$10.19 $10.19
-45.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.30 $1.30
30.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$5.04 $5.04
-40.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$4.53 $4.53
-57.62%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$5.58 $5.58
-51.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$15.21 $15.21
-22.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$16.29 $16.29
-41.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$19.86 $19.86
-27.44%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$5.12 $5.12
-41.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$2.32 $2.32
-18.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$4.01 $4.01
-50.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$5.52 $5.52
-60.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$3.38 $3.38
-43.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$2.93 $2.93
-36.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$2.18 $2.18
-33.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$2.70 $2.70
-52.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$11.69 $11.69
-55.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$14.72 $14.72
9.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$2.42 $2.42
-21.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.66 $2.66
58.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$1.77 $1.77
-80.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$3.04 $3.04
-34.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$1.81 $1.81
-71.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$31.64 $31.64
-83.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.51 $1.51
0.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$29.4K $29.4K
-24.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$26.1K $26.1K
-6.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$219 $219
-72.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$76.6 $76.6
-62.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$74.1 $74.1
-53.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$130 $130
-56.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$19.68 $19.68
-66.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$1,645 $1,645
-74.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$32.4K $32.4K
-64.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$63.0 $63.0
7.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$47.11 $47.11
10.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$104 $104
2.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$104 $104
7.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$3,192 $3,192
-67.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$2,130 $2,130
-69.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Burbank, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$5,419 $5,419
-82.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
6.31
79.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Burbank, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Burbank, CA
$2.1K 226% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Burbank, CA
$478 50.2% $160
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Burbank, CA
$398 95.1% $194
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Burbank, CA
$143 6% $9.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Burbank, CA
$370 198% $246
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Burbank, CA
$169 143% $99
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Burbank, CA
$19 * 25.3% $6.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $3,192 in Burbank, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 462% higher in Burbank, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $77.0 in Burbank, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $478 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇸 Burbank, CA
🕒 Local time
08:51 8:51 AM
07:51 7:51 AM
1 h behind Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
103,340
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Burbank, CA 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Burbank, CA

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 Burbank, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Burbank, CA?
Burbank, CA costs about 139% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mexico City and in Burbank, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $5,561 in Burbank, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mexico City or Burbank, CA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Mexico City compared to Burbank, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $3,707 in Burbank, CA. That's a gap of about 139%.
How do childcare costs compare in Mexico City and in Burbank, CA?
Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Mexico City and $1,645 in Burbank, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Mexico City or in Burbank, CA?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Burbank, CA at $3,707. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burbank, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Burbank, CA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,548 versus $3,707 in Burbank, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Mexico City compared to Burbank, CA?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Mexico City or to Burbank, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burbank, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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