Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Decatur, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Decatur, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Decatur, IL
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Decatur, IL Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Decatur, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Decatur, IL

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 Decatur, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $1,725 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Decatur, IL $1,725

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $2,654 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Decatur, IL $2,654

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $3,582 in Decatur, IL, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Decatur, IL $3,582

Mexico City is about 9% cheaper than Decatur, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Decatur, IL sit above the global median – Mexico City by 16%, Decatur, IL by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$19.96 $19.96

-46.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$83.4 $83.4

-39.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$8.74 $8.74

27.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.41 $5.41

-31.98%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$2.24 $2.24

-26.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$1.66 $1.66

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$5.02 $5.02

-33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$6.12 $6.12

-9.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.34 $1.34

32.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$2.03 $2.03

-0.99%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$4.74 $4.74

-41.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$13.87 $13.87

-14.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$14.86 $14.86

-37.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$13.08 $13.08

14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$4.31 $4.31

-28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$2.02 $2.02

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$4.03 $4.03

-49.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$3.27 $3.27

-32.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$0.91 $0.91

121.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.09 $1.09

66.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.48 $1.48

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$3.07 $3.07

-58.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$15.87 $15.87

-66.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$14.81 $14.81

8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$2.20 $2.20

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$1.99 $1.99

113.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$3.17 $3.17

-36.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.42 $1.42

-62.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$25.28 $25.28

-77.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.16 $1.16

31.03%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$37.0K $37.0K

-43.08%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$25.5K $25.5K

-1.29%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$85.6 $85.6

-27.02%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$67.2 $67.2

-57.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$60.2 $60.2

-42.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$74.7 $74.7

-23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$11.82 $11.82

-43.57%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$1,525 $1,525

-71.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$32.0K $32.0K

-63.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$68.1 $68.1

3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$51.5 $51.5

0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$101 $101

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$144 $144

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$867 $867

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$551 $551

20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$993 $993

136.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$805 $805

52.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$940 $940

277.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$941 $941

110.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$4,599 $4,599

-78.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.77

66.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Decatur, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Decatur, IL

$551 31.9% 17.1% $114

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Decatur, IL

$385 22.3% 19.2% $62

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Decatur, IL

$304 17.6% 49.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Decatur, IL

$164 9.5% 6.2% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Decatur, IL

$213 12.3% 69.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Decatur, IL

$98 5.7% 39.6% $28

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Decatur, IL

$10 * 0.6% 60.1% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $867 in Decatur, IL. 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 372% higher in Decatur, IL, 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 $50.0 in Mexico City versus $83.0 in Decatur, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $385 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Decatur, IL

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

77,047

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Decatur, IL 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Decatur, IL

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 Decatur, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Decatur, IL is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $2,588 in Decatur, IL. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City and $83.0 in Decatur, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Decatur, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Decatur, IL at $1,725. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Decatur, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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