Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Glendale, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $3,660 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA.

Mexico City $1,561
Glendale, CA $3,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $4,572 in Glendale, CA.

Mexico City $2,440
Glendale, CA $4,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $5,484 in Glendale, CA.

Mexico City $3,319
Glendale, CA $5,484

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Glendale, CA 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$25.31 $25.31

-56.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$901

$77.7 $77.7

-36.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$14.98 $14.98

-25.03%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.1

$5.99 $5.99

-37.23%

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

$1.65 MX$30.38

$3.13 $3.13

-47.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.52

$2.33 $2.33

-45.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.9

$7.30 $7.30

-55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$9.95 $9.95

-43.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.28

$1.40 $1.40

29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.1

$4.68 $4.68

-37.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.68

$4.53 $4.53

-54.75%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.8

$5.93 $5.93

-50.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$220

$11.51 $11.51

3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$8.60 $8.60

10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$19.76 $19.76

-24.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.8

$4.86 $4.86

-35.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.05

$2.21 $2.21

-9.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.16

$4.09 $4.09

-49.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.79

$5.75 $5.75

-61.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.87

$3.19 $3.19

-35.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.52

$2.94 $2.94

-36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.22

$2.00 $2.00

-26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.73

$2.55 $2.55

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.5

$11.58 $11.58

-53.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$14.71 $14.71

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.49

$2.45 $2.45

-19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.5

$2.67 $2.67

61.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.34

$1.98 $1.98

-82.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$372

$90.3 $90.3

-77.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.52

$3.11 $3.11

-32.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.76

$1.82 $1.82

-70.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.4

$32.37 $32.37

-83.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.95

$1.55 $1.55

-1.94%

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

$21.7K MX$399.6K

$36.9K $36.9K

-41.15%

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

$24.8K MX$456.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.95%

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

$63.0 MX$1,158

$220 $220

-71.31%

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

$28.88 MX$531

$78.7 $78.7

-63.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$624

$72.7 $72.7

-53.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,026

$39.01 $39.01

42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$125

$19.61 $19.61

-65.48%

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

$428 MX$7,866

$1,159 $1,159

-63.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.3K

$32.4K $32.4K

-63.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,288

$62.1 $62.1

12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$988

$48.28 $48.28

11.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,019

$118 $118

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,118

$196 $196

-41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$1,577 $1,577

-32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$2,051 $2,051

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$2,514 $2,514

-5.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.2K

$2,123 $2,123

-40.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.3K

$2,423 $2,423

53.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$2,235 $2,235

-11.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$5,078 $5,078

-80.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.53

73.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6% 206% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Glendale, CA

$423 11.7% 29.5% $96

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Glendale, CA

$398 11% 92% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Glendale, CA

$191 5.3% 21.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Glendale, CA

$371 10.2% 195% $245

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Glendale, CA

$78 2.2% 12.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Glendale, CA

$110 3.1% 319% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $1,577 in Glendale, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glendale, CA pays 409% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $78.0 in Glendale, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $423 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🕒 Local time

22:11 10:11 PM

21:11 9:11 PM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

200,831

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.85 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.39 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.61 MXN (100 MXN = 4.85 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Glendale, CA 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 409% lower in Glendale, CA. 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $1,577 in Glendale, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 346% less than in Glendale, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $1,159 in Glendale, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Glendale, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Glendale, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Glendale, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Glendale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.