Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Centro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
El Centro, CA $2,700

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $3,848 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
El Centro, CA $3,848

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $4,996 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
El Centro, CA $4,996

Mexico City is about 40% cheaper than El Centro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and El Centro, CA sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, El Centro, CA by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$13.62 $13.62

-22.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$44.97 $44.97

7.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$11.39 $11.39

-9.13%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$4.89 $4.89

-24.54%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$2.54 $2.54

-34.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$1.96 $1.96

-35.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$4.90 $4.90

-34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$7.95 $7.95

-33.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$1.16 $1.16

48.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$5.88 $5.88

-48.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$4.37 $4.37

-55.61%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$4.91 $4.91

-41.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$12.67 $12.67

-13.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$20.39 $20.39

-54.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$13.90 $13.90

8.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$5.50 $5.50

-44.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.70 $1.70

14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$4.28 $4.28

-52.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$6.72 $6.72

-65.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$3.64 $3.64

-43.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$3.47 $3.47

-48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$2.28 $2.28

-35.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$2.31 $2.31

-45.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$11.64 $11.64

-54.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$14.85 $14.85

8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$1.70 $1.70

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$3.26 $3.26

30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$2.26 $2.26

-86.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$58.6 $58.6

-66.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$4.46 $4.46

-58.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

$1.88 $1.88

-71.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

$35.36 $35.36

-85.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$1.53 $1.53

-1.31%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$27.4K $27.4K

-20.62%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

-7.67%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$216 $216

-70.79%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$72.1 $72.1

-62.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$70.5 $70.5

-49.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$34.32 $34.32

71.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$11.90 $11.90

-46.22%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$1,895 $1,895

-77.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$42.8K $42.8K

-73.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$72.7 $72.7

-6.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$40.38 $40.38

31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$79.1 $79.1

36.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$173 $173

-32.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$1,401 $1,401

-20.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$1,300 $1,300

-45.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$2,246 $2,246

15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$2,076 $2,076

-32.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$2,709 $2,709

34.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$2,661 $2,661

-19.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.64

70.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 48.2% 83% $590

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

El Centro, CA

$477 17.7% 49.3% $157

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

El Centro, CA

$260 9.6% 31% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

El Centro, CA

$164 6.1% 5.4% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

El Centro, CA

$358 13.3% 184% $232

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

El Centro, CA

$58 2.2% 19% $14

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

El Centro, CA

$81 3% 220% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $45 in El Centro, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $477 in El Centro, CA – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

10:59 10:59 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

44,322

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City El Centro, CA 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $2,700 in El Centro, CA – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $4,049 in El Centro, CA. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $1,895 in El Centro, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,700 in El Centro, CA, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.