Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hilo, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $2,865 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Hilo, HI $2,865

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $4,388 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Hilo, HI $4,388

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $5,910 in Hilo, HI, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Hilo, HI $5,910

Mexico City is about 42% cheaper than Hilo, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Hilo, HI sit above the global median – Mexico City by 24%, Hilo, HI by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$20.77 $20.77

-49.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$978

$79.9 $79.9

-34.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$202

$12.17 $12.17

-11.83%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.4

$5.63 $5.63

-32.50%

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

$1.61 MX$30.35

$2.90 $2.90

-44.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.81

$2.42 $2.42

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.8

$6.32 $6.32

-49.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$7.57 $7.57

-28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.75 $1.75

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.8

$10.08 $10.08

-70.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.24

$4.28 $4.28

-54.91%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.2

$7.07 $7.07

-60.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$220

$19.98 $19.98

-41.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$17.57 $17.57

-46.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$30.15 $30.15

-49.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.4

$8.57 $8.57

-63.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.90

$2.39 $2.39

-17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.30

$10.48 $10.48

-81.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.95

$12.21 $12.21

-80.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.08

$9.04 $9.04

-77.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.34

$7.81 $7.81

-76.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.06

$5.36 $5.36

-71.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.70

$3.02 $3.02

-56.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$101

$11.90 $11.90

-55.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$305

$22.03 $22.03

-26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.87

$1.76 $1.76

11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.08

$2.95 $2.95

-34.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.90

$2.00 $2.00

-76.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$23.57 $23.57

-77.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.92

$1.41 $1.41

4.96%

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

$21.4K MX$402.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

-16.20%

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

$23.8K MX$447.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

-8.76%

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

$62.0 MX$1,167

$302 $302

-79.47%

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

$28.47 MX$536

$67.7 $67.7

-57.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$642

$125 $125

-72.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,099

$37.04 $37.04

57.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$461

$25.30 $25.30

-3.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$13.24 $13.24

-50.23%

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

$434 MX$8,172

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$264.1K

$11.8K $11.8K

18.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,286

$36.77 $36.77

85.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,031

$29.88 $29.88

83.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,086

$66.8 $66.8

65.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,183

$83.9 $83.9

38.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.2K

$1,463 $1,463

-19.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$1,142 $1,142

-32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.4K

$2,574 $2,574

-0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$2,199 $2,199

-35.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.5K

$5,600 $5,600

-35.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$4,662 $4,662

-55.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.9K

$3,795 $3,795

-73.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.62

71.45%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hilo, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Hilo, HI

$1.1K 39.9% 48.2% $371

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Hilo, HI

$715 * 25% 121% $392

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Hilo, HI

$338 11.8% 68.6% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Hilo, HI

$98 3.4% 37.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Hilo, HI

$495 17.3% 297% $370

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Hilo, HI

$64 2.2% 11.2% $8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Hilo, HI

$13 * 0.5% 48.1% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hilo, HI are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $80 in Hilo, HI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $715 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

4 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

44,186

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 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 Hilo, HI 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Hilo, HI

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 Hilo, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilo, HI costs about 71% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $4,297 in Hilo, HI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,179 there versus $1,463 in Hilo, HI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $2,865 in Hilo, HI. That makes Mexico City about 42% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 121% more in Hilo, HI, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,674 in Mexico City to $2,865 in Hilo, HI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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