Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Jersey City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ.

Mexico City $1,567
Jersey City, NJ $3,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $5,348 in Jersey City, NJ.

Mexico City $2,450
Jersey City, NJ $5,348

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $6,841 in Jersey City, NJ.

Mexico City $3,333
Jersey City, NJ $6,841

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 59% less than in Jersey City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Jersey City, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$25.34 $25.34

-57.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$99.9 $99.9

-49.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$10.83 $10.83

2.49%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.40 $5.40

-31.85%

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

$1.58 $1.58

-17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$8.11 $8.11

-59.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$8.18 $8.18

-32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.29 $1.29

37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$4.20 $4.20

-27.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$7.58 $7.58

-73.48%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$5.68 $5.68

-51.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$12.52 $12.52

-4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$11.68 $11.68

-20.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$17.29 $17.29

-13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$5.28 $5.28

-41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.72 $1.72

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$6.44 $6.44

-68.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$6.13 $6.13

-63.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$5.66 $5.66

-64.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$3.82 $3.82

-52.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.89 $2.89

-47.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$2.81 $2.81

-54.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$11.19 $11.19

-52.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$24.79 $24.79

-34.97%

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

$5.51 $5.51

-22.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$3.07 $3.07

-89.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$106 $106

-81.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$2.94 $2.94

-31.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$2.00 $2.00

-73.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$24.20 $24.20

-76.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.12 $1.12

35.71%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$36.8K $36.8K

-42.79%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.28%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$209 $209

-70.15%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$73.2 $73.2

-60.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$64.8 $64.8

-46.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$56.3 $56.3

1.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$43.47 $43.47

-42.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$14.60 $14.60

-54.32%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$2,245 $2,245

-80.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

-50.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$41.50 $41.50

70.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$58.2 $58.2

-10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$74.8 $74.8

45.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$155 $155

-27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$3,501 $3,501

-69.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$2,282 $2,282

-70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$5,540 $5,540

-57.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$3,248 $3,248

-62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$7,779 $7,779

-54.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$5,595 $5,595

-64.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$6,205 $6,205

-84.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Jersey City, NJ

$2.3K 59.2% 243% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Jersey City, NJ

$488 12.7% 51.3% $166

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Jersey City, NJ

$372 9.7% 83.2% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Jersey City, NJ

$148 3.8% 4.2% $6.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Jersey City, NJ

$347 9% 176% $222

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Jersey City, NJ

$85 2.2% 21.4% $15

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Jersey City, NJ

$131 3.4% 408% $105

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 537% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $100 in Jersey City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $488 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

292,449

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Jersey City, NJ 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Jersey City, 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 Jersey City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 537% lower in Jersey City, NJ. 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 433% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $2,245 in Jersey City, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Jersey City, NJ. 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 Jersey City, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.