Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cleveland, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,409 in Cleveland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Cleveland, OH, United States
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Cleveland, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,409
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cleveland, OH

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 Cleveland, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,409 in Cleveland, OH, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Cleveland, OH $2,409

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $3,602 in Cleveland, OH, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Cleveland, OH $3,602

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $4,794 in Cleveland, OH, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Cleveland, OH $4,794

Mexico City is about 33% cheaper than Cleveland, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Cleveland, OH sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Cleveland, OH by 77%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$18.09 $18.09
-41.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$908
$62.3 $62.3
-22.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$11.05 $11.05
-6.33%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.3
$5.57 $5.57
-33.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.29
$2.65 $2.65
-36.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.76
$1.97 $1.97
-35.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.9
$6.11 $6.11
-47.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.6
$8.10 $8.10
-34.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.38
$0.88 $0.88
95.45%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$3.28 $3.28
-7.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.44
$4.42 $4.42
-56.11%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.2
$4.44 $4.44
-34.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$13.09 $13.09
-16.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$12.16 $12.16
-23.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$19.88 $19.88
-23.89%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.2
$5.09 $5.09
-40.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.45
$1.61 $1.61
20.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.02
$4.16 $4.16
-51.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.46
$3.85 $3.85
-40.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.21
$2.99 $2.99
-31.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.79
$3.17 $3.17
-43.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.77
$2.18 $2.18
-32.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.80
$2.11 $2.11
-39.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.6
$10.19 $10.19
-47.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$14.87 $14.87
8.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.23
$2.41 $2.41
-17.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.8
$3.70 $3.70
14.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$2.56 $2.56
-87.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$93.7 $93.7
-78.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.50
$2.78 $2.78
-33.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.02
$1.58 $1.58
-66.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$25.45 $25.45
-79.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.36
$1.07 $1.07
41.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.4K
$36.1K $36.1K
-39.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.3K
$25.8K $25.8K
-7.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,182
$221 $221
-71.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$514
$65.4 $65.4
-58.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$73.1 $73.1
-51.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,107
$33.34 $33.34
76.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$2.01 $2.01
1076.12%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$13.50 $13.50
-52.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,103
$1,007 $1,007
-57.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.5K
$18.4K $18.4K
-37.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,281
$61.3 $61.3
11.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$997
$38.95 $38.95
36.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,023
$99.0 $99.0
8.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,202
$119 $119
-1.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$1,637 $1,637
-31.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$1,015 $1,015
-30.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$3,068 $3,068
-15.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$1,825 $1,825
-22.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$1,969 $1,969
84.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$1,439 $1,439
48.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Cleveland, OH
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$3,644 $3,644
-74.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
6.59
72.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cleveland, OH: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Cleveland, OH
$1K 42.9% $305
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Cleveland, OH
$406 27.2% $87
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Cleveland, OH
$310 56% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Cleveland, OH
$143 8.3% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Cleveland, OH
$360 186% $234
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Cleveland, OH
$60 15.9% $11
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Cleveland, OH
$115 350% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,637 in Cleveland, OH. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Cleveland, OH 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 $62 in Cleveland, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $406 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH
🕒 Local time
11:08 11:08 AM
12:08 12:08 PM
1 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
367,991
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Cleveland, OH 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Cleveland, OH

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 Cleveland, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City cheaper than Cleveland, OH?
Yes – Cleveland, OH is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $3,614 in Cleveland, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,637 in Cleveland, OH.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Cleveland, OH?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $62 in Cleveland, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Cleveland, OH?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,409 in Cleveland, OH. That makes Mexico City about 33% cheaper.
Is $3,000 enough for either Mexico City or Cleveland, OH?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,409 in Cleveland, OH, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Mexico City or Cleveland, OH more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cleveland, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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