Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Glendale, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,173 in Glendale, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Glendale, AZ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,173
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Glendale, AZ

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 Glendale, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $2,173 in Glendale, AZ, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Glendale, AZ $2,173

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $3,425 in Glendale, AZ, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Glendale, AZ $3,425

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $4,676 in Glendale, AZ, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Glendale, AZ $4,676

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

Both Mexico City and Glendale, AZ sit above the global median – Mexico City by 16%, Glendale, AZ by 61%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$15.13 $15.13
-28.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$62.1 $62.1
-19.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$12.45 $12.45
-10.84%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$5.38 $5.38
-31.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$2.17 $2.17
-23.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$1.96 $1.96
-33.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$7.11 $7.11
-53.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$7.21 $7.21
-23.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$0.96 $0.96
84.38%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$3.24 $3.24
-5.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$5.11 $5.11
-60.67%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$4.54 $4.54
-38.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$13.36 $13.36
-10.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$11.27 $11.27
-17.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$16.92 $16.92
-11.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$4.57 $4.57
-32.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.87 $1.87
4.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$3.94 $3.94
-48.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$4.12 $4.12
-46.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$2.45 $2.45
-17.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$2.91 $2.91
-37.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$2.13 $2.13
-28.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$2.10 $2.10
-39.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$10.47 $10.47
-49.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$13.35 $13.35
20.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.77 $1.77
10.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$3.75 $3.75
13.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$2.04 $2.04
-84.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$2.72 $2.72
-26.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$1.34 $1.34
-60.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$35.46 $35.46
-84.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.02 $1.02
49.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$36.1K $36.1K
-41.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$25.9K $25.9K
-2.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$194 $194
-67.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$48.28 $48.28
-40.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$66.4 $66.4
-48.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$34.52 $34.52
65.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$9.95 $9.95
-32.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$1,089 $1,089
-60.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$15.8K $15.8K
-25.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$54.3 $54.3
30.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$42.94 $42.94
20.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$88.2 $88.2
23.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$103 $103
8.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$1,360 $1,360
-22.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$985 $985
-32.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$2,469 $2,469
-4.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$2,105 $2,105
-41.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Glendale, AZ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$3,716 $3,716
-73.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
6.23
81.38%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Glendale, AZ: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Glendale, AZ
$985 48.1% $320
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Glendale, AZ
$388 20.3% $66
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Glendale, AZ
$289 42.6% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Glendale, AZ
$130 16.1% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Glendale, AZ
$309 146% $183
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Glendale, AZ
$54 22.7% $16
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Glendale, AZ
$18 * 31.8% $8.2

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 $1,360 in Glendale, AZ. 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 281% higher in Glendale, AZ, 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 $62.0 in Glendale, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $388 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇸 Glendale, AZ
🕒 Local time
14:13 2:13 PM
13:13 1:13 PM
1 h behind Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
200,831
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Glendale, AZ 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Glendale, AZ

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 Glendale, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Glendale, AZ?
Glendale, AZ costs about 39% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mexico City and in Glendale, AZ?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $3,260 in Glendale, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mexico City or Glendale, AZ?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Mexico City and in Glendale, AZ?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City and $62.0 in Glendale, AZ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mexico City or in Glendale, AZ?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Glendale, AZ, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Mexico City or in Glendale, AZ?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Glendale, AZ at $2,173. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glendale, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Glendale, AZ?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,567 versus $2,173 in Glendale, AZ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Mexico City or to Glendale, AZ?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glendale, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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