Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 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
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Mexico City $1,674
Fort Lee, NJ $3,905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $6,215 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Mexico City $2,606
Fort Lee, NJ $6,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $8,525 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Mexico City $3,537
Fort Lee, NJ $8,525

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 57% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Fort Lee, NJ 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$198

$24.72 $24.72

-57.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$972

$82.9 $82.9

-37.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$11.17 $11.17

-3.94%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.0

$5.54 $5.54

-31.41%

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

$1.61 MX$30.16

$2.21 $2.21

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.67

$1.60 $1.60

-24.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

$7.88 $7.88

-59.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$7.99 $7.99

-31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.32 $1.32

30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.5

$3.80 $3.80

-21.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.02

$6.71 $6.71

-71.24%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.9

$4.69 $4.69

-40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$218

$12.49 $12.49

-6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$177

$16.30 $16.30

-41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$288

$17.09 $17.09

-10.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.1

$5.44 $5.44

-43.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$1.72 $1.72

13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.07

$6.39 $6.39

-69.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.68

$5.57 $5.57

-57.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.85

$3.97 $3.97

-49.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.13

$3.75 $3.75

-51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.89

$2.79 $2.79

-44.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.54

$2.68 $2.68

-51.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$11.72 $11.72

-54.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

$11.89 $11.89

36.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

$1.71 $1.71

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

$2.04 $2.04

113.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.70

$2.80 $2.80

-89.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$365

$134 $134

-85.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$2.98 $2.98

-35.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.84

$2.00 $2.00

-76.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$23.88 $23.88

-77.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.75

$0.87 $0.87

70.11%

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

$21.4K MX$399.7K

$28.3K $28.3K

-24.47%

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

$23.8K MX$444.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

-9.19%

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

$62.0 MX$1,160

$211 $211

-70.64%

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

$28.47 MX$533

$75.4 $75.4

-62.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$638

$66.0 $66.0

-48.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,092

$127 $127

-53.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$14.58 $14.58

-54.80%

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

$434 MX$8,122

$2,008 $2,008

-78.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$262.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-44.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,278

$41.02 $41.02

66.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,025

$57.4 $57.4

-4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,073

$75.7 $75.7

46.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,169

$86.0 $86.0

34.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$2,887 $2,887

-59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.4K

$2,295 $2,295

-66.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.1K

$6,408 $6,408

-59.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.6K

$4,981 $4,981

-71.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

$4,254 $4,254

-15.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

$3,836 $3,836

-46.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$6,563 $6,563

-84.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.76

67.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 58.8% 198% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Fort Lee, NJ

$457 11.7% 41.3% $134

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Fort Lee, NJ

$368 9.4% 83.7% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$117 3% 25.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$353 9% 183% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 118% $84

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 535% $134

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays about 6.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $83 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $457 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

37,008

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Fort Lee, NJ 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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 $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ – Mexico City is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 86% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, NJ. 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 57% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.