Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Galveston, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,222 in Galveston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Galveston, TX
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Galveston, TX Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Galveston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Galveston, TX

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 Galveston, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,222 in Galveston, TX, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Galveston, TX $2,222

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $3,215 in Galveston, TX, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Galveston, TX $3,215

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $4,209 in Galveston, TX, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Galveston, TX $4,209

Mexico City is about 28% cheaper than Galveston, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Galveston, TX sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Galveston, TX by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$22.04 $22.04

-51.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$76.5 $76.5

-36.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$12.12 $12.12

-14.60%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$7.95 $7.95

-53.58%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$2.84 $2.84

-41.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$1.77 $1.77

-28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$5.15 $5.15

-38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$4.05 $4.05

31.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$0.81 $0.81

112.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$2.56 $2.56

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$2.81 $2.81

-30.96%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.75 $2.75

5.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$11.45 $11.45

-4.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$9.54 $9.54

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$13.24 $13.24

14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$5.47 $5.47

-44.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.57 $1.57

23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$3.18 $3.18

-36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$3.76 $3.76

-38.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$2.13 $2.13

-4.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$2.50 $2.50

-28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$1.80 $1.80

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$1.79 $1.79

-29.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$9.91 $9.91

-46.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$10.90 $10.90

47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$1.77 $1.77

140.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$1.95 $1.95

-84.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$32.77 $32.77

-39.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$9.90 $9.90

-81.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.82 $1.82

-70.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$60.6 $60.6

-91.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-18.97%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

-9.02%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$176 $176

-64.25%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$42.42 $42.42

-35.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$39.79 $39.79

-10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$34.89 $34.89

68.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$11.17 $11.17

-42.70%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$759 $759

-43.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$18.2K $18.2K

-37.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$44.12 $44.12

54.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$38.49 $38.49

38.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$73.4 $73.4

46.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$81.1 $81.1

44.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$1,186 $1,186

-6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,059 $1,059

-32.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$2,118 $2,118

22.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$1,579 $1,579

-10.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$2,698 $2,698

34.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$2,158 $2,158

-1.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$4,045 $4,045

-76.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.57

72.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Galveston, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Galveston, TX

$1.1K 47.7% 49.1% $349

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Galveston, TX

$320 14.4% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Galveston, TX

$360 16.2% 81.4% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Galveston, TX

$107 4.8% 31.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Galveston, TX

$258 11.6% 105% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Galveston, TX

$57 2.6% 20.2% $14

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Galveston, TX

$60 2.7% 134% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,186 in Galveston, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Galveston, TX are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $77 in Galveston, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Galveston, TX

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

53,695

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Galveston, TX 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Galveston, TX

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 Galveston, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $2,222 in Galveston, TX – Mexico City comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $3,333 in Galveston, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,186 in Galveston, TX. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,222 in Galveston, TX. That makes Mexico City about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $759 in Galveston, TX. 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 $2,222 in Galveston, TX, 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.

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