Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Howell Township, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,681 in Howell Township, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Howell Township, NJ
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Howell Township, NJ Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Howell Township, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Howell Township, NJ

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 Howell Township, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,681 in Howell Township, NJ.

Mexico City $1,674
Howell Township, NJ $2,681

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $3,888 in Howell Township, NJ.

Mexico City $2,606
Howell Township, NJ $3,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $5,094 in Howell Township, NJ.

Mexico City $3,537
Howell Township, NJ $5,094

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 38% less than in Howell Township, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Howell Township, NJ 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$20.17 $20.17

-47.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$965

$75.0 $75.0

-30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$199

$11.47 $11.47

-6.45%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.5

$5.19 $5.19

-26.78%

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

$1.61 MX$29.95

$2.71 $2.71

-40.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.51

$1.95 $1.95

-37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.0

$6.15 $6.15

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$7.33 $7.33

-25.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.90

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.1

$3.94 $3.94

-24.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.77

$4.03 $4.03

-52.11%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.5

$4.27 $4.27

-35.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$12.26 $12.26

-4.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$12.00 $12.00

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$16.94 $16.94

-9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.7

$5.33 $5.33

-41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.41

$1.28 $1.28

53.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.81

$4.54 $4.54

-56.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.37

$4.52 $4.52

-48.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.58

$3.13 $3.13

-35.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.88

$2.66 $2.66

-31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.68

$1.88 $1.88

-18.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.37

$2.30 $2.30

-43.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.4

$9.94 $9.94

-46.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$14.95 $14.95

8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.38

$1.67 $1.67

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.8

$3.21 $3.21

35.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.66

$1.76 $1.76

-82.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$362

$59.4 $59.4

-67.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.61

$3.94 $3.94

-51.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.78

$1.62 $1.62

-70.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$100

$26.46 $26.46

-79.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.55

$1.12 $1.12

32.14%

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

$21.4K MX$396.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-21.08%

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

$23.8K MX$441.2K

$28.8K $28.8K

-17.43%

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

$62.0 MX$1,151

$198 $198

-68.70%

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

$28.47 MX$529

$58.6 $58.6

-51.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$634

$127 $127

-73.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,084

$40.27 $40.27

45.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$455

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$122

$14.12 $14.12

-53.33%

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

$434 MX$8,064

$1,206 $1,206

-64.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$260.7K

$19.1K $19.1K

-26.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,269

$47.29 $47.29

44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,018

$38.60 $38.60

41.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,059

$90.0 $90.0

23.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,154

$115 $115

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$1,556 $1,556

-24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$1,293 $1,293

-40.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.7K

$2,600 $2,600

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$2,108 $2,108

-32.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.6K

$2,808 $2,808

27.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.3K

$2,679 $2,679

-22.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.6K

$3,001 $3,001

-66.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.59

72.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Howell Township, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Howell Township, NJ

$1.3K 48.2% 67.8% $523

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Howell Township, NJ

$404 15.1% 25% $81

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Howell Township, NJ

$322 12% 60.6% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Howell Township, NJ

$131 4.9% 17% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Howell Township, NJ

$383 14.3% 208% $259

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Howell Township, NJ

$69 2.6% 4.3% $3.1

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Howell Township, NJ

$78 2.9% 214% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,556 in Howell Township, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Howell Township, NJ pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $75 in Howell Township, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $404 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Howell Township, NJ

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

08:48 8:48 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

53,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Howell Township, NJ 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Howell Township, NJ

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 Howell Township, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,556 in Howell Township, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52 versus $75 in Howell Township, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $2,681 in Howell Township, NJ – Mexico City is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Howell Township, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.