Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Johnson City, TN $2,138

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $3,133 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Johnson City, TN $3,133

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $4,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Johnson City, TN $4,129

Mexico City is about 25% cheaper than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Johnson City, TN sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Johnson City, TN by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$13.78 $13.78

-22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$53.9 $53.9

-10.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$9.88 $9.88

4.76%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$5.14 $5.14

-28.21%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$2.88 $2.88

-42.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$2.03 $2.03

-37.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$4.93 $4.93

-35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$6.04 $6.04

-12.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$0.98 $0.98

75.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$3.75 $3.75

-18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$3.97 $3.97

-51.13%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.11 $3.11

-7.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$7.53 $7.53

45.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$13.67 $13.67

-32.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$13.09 $13.09

15.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$7.59 $7.59

-59.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.73 $1.73

12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$4.10 $4.10

-50.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$3.65 $3.65

-36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$3.40 $3.40

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$4.34 $4.34

-58.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$2.20 $2.20

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$2.36 $2.36

-46.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$9.01 $9.01

-41.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$13.14 $13.14

22.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$4.42 $4.42

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.97 $0.97

-68.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$25.13 $25.13

-21.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$5.58 $5.58

-67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.44 $1.44

-63.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$15.19 $15.19

-65.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$0.83 $0.83

81.93%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$30.0K $30.0K

-27.49%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$24.7K $24.7K

-2.94%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$172 $172

-63.42%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$51.9 $51.9

-47.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$62.5 $62.5

-42.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$47.20 $47.20

24.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$20.14 $20.14

17.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$11.88 $11.88

-46.13%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$1,185 $1,185

-63.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$14.6K $14.6K

-21.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$37.41 $37.41

82.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$30.80 $30.80

72.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$87.4 $87.4

23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$94.4 $94.4

24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$1,178 $1,178

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$980 $980

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,992 $1,992

29.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$1,616 $1,616

-13.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$2,444 $2,444

48.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$2,033 $2,033

5.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$3,584 $3,584

-73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.49

74.88%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9% 38% $270

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1% 21.4% $68

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1% 29.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3% 27.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4% 127% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 1.1% $0.8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Johnson City, TN

$42 2% 64.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johnson City, TN are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $388 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

18:37 6:37 PM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

66,027

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Johnson City, TN 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $3,207 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN. That makes Mexico City about 25% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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