Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hempstead, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Hempstead, NY: $1,474 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Hempstead, NY
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Hempstead, NY Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Hempstead, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Hempstead, NY

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 Hempstead, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,474 in Hempstead, NY.

Mexico City $1,608
Hempstead, NY $1,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,319 in Hempstead, NY.

Mexico City $2,549
Hempstead, NY $2,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $3,164 in Hempstead, NY.

Mexico City $3,490
Hempstead, NY $3,164

Living in Mexico City is roughly 9% more expensive than in Hempstead, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Hempstead, NY 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$19.94 $19.94

-46.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$76.1 $76.1

-36.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$12.73 $12.73

-18.70%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$5.14 $5.14

-28.21%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$2.91 $2.91

-42.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$2.33 $2.33

-45.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$6.05 $6.05

-47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$8.20 $8.20

-35.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.26 $1.26

36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$1.65 $1.65

84.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$2.45 $2.45

-20.82%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$3.62 $3.62

-20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$9.56 $9.56

14.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$12.17 $12.17

-23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$12.13 $12.13

24.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$2.98 $2.98

2.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$1.53 $1.53

26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$1.80 $1.80

12.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$5.67 $5.67

-59.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$2.88 $2.88

-29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$2.63 $2.63

-31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$2.56 $2.56

-42.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$2.48 $2.48

-48.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$11.96 $11.96

-55.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$15.17 $15.17

6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$2.32 $2.32

-14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$4.42 $4.42

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$2.93 $2.93

-89.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$130 $130

-84.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$2.89 $2.89

-36.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$0.63 $0.63

-15.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$24.40 $24.40

-78.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$1.14 $1.14

32.46%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$31.7K $31.7K

-31.40%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-9.81%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$230 $230

-72.62%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$64.4 $64.4

-57.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$66.9 $66.9

-46.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$112 $112

-47.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$14.88 $14.88

-56.99%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$2,082 $2,082

-79.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$42.5K $42.5K

-73.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$48.96 $48.96

39.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$44.40 $44.40

19.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$102 $102

5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$141 $141

-16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.66

70.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hempstead, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Hempstead, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Hempstead, NY

$344 23.3% 7.5% $24

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Hempstead, NY

$327 22.2% 64.6% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Hempstead, NY

$152 10.3% 2.7% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Hempstead, NY

$361 24.5% 187% $235

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Hempstead, NY

$142 9.6% 97.8% $70

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Hempstead, NY

$148 10.1% 482% $123

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $76 in Hempstead, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $344 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Hempstead, NY

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

793,409

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Hempstead, NY 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Hempstead, NY

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 Hempstead, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,474 in Hempstead, NY, so Hempstead, NY is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $2,210 in Hempstead, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $76 in Hempstead, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Hempstead, NY gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.