Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL.

Mexico City $1,674
Des Plaines, IL $3,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $4,425 in Des Plaines, IL.

Mexico City $2,606
Des Plaines, IL $4,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $5,828 in Des Plaines, IL.

Mexico City $3,537
Des Plaines, IL $5,828

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 45% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Des Plaines, IL 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$20.75 $20.75

-48.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$90.9 $90.9

-42.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$12.75 $12.75

-15.84%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.6

$5.50 $5.50

-30.91%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$2.71 $2.71

-40.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$2.29 $2.29

-47.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$6.54 $6.54

-51.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$7.61 $7.61

-28.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$0.93 $0.93

84.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$3.38 $3.38

-12.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$4.15 $4.15

-53.49%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$4.06 $4.06

-31.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$14.75 $14.75

-20.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$12.32 $12.32

-23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$17.84 $17.84

-13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$4.42 $4.42

-29.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.57 $1.57

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$3.88 $3.88

-48.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$4.84 $4.84

-51.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$2.72 $2.72

-25.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$2.68 $2.68

-32.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$2.14 $2.14

-28.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$2.36 $2.36

-44.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$10.87 $10.87

-50.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$14.89 $14.89

8.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$2.62 $2.62

-25.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$3.47 $3.47

25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$2.03 $2.03

-85.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

$59.2 $59.2

-67.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$3.16 $3.16

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.70 $1.70

-72.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$24.57 $24.57

-77.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.07 $1.07

38.32%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$30.8K $30.8K

-30.53%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

-8.26%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$194 $194

-68.05%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$60.3 $60.3

-52.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$78.9 $78.9

-56.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$127 $127

-54.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

$39.49 $39.49

-37.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$14.77 $14.77

-55.38%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$1,631 $1,631

-73.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$21.8K $21.8K

-35.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$63.6 $63.6

7.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$47.18 $47.18

16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$104 $104

7.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,158

$124 $124

-6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$2,119 $2,119

-44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$1,557 $1,557

-50.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$3,962 $3,962

-35.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$2,517 $2,517

-43.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$3,246 $3,246

10.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$2,516 $2,516

-17.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$4,731 $4,731

-78.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.79

67.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.6K 51.5% 102% $786

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$407 13.5% 25.7% $83

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Des Plaines, IL

$338 11.2% 68.6% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5% 3.3% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11% 168% $209

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$156 5.2% 119% $85

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 216% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $2,119 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $91 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $407 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

60,675

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Des Plaines, IL 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, so Mexico City is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $2,119 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Des Plaines, IL. 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 $52 versus $91 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.