Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Lelydorp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $198 in Lelydorp.

Mexico City $1,608
Lelydorp $198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $404 in Lelydorp.

Mexico City $2,549
Lelydorp $404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $610 in Lelydorp.

Mexico City $3,490
Lelydorp $610

Living in Mexico City is roughly 711% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Lelydorp is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$5.06 SRD 189

109.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$35.04 SRD 1,310

37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.06 SRD 227

70.79%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$1.27 SRD 47.42

31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.46 SRD 17.35

176.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$1.99 SRD 74.4

60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$3.04 SRD 114

74.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$1.18 SRD 44.05

45.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.98 SRD 36.47

210.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$1.18 SRD 44.09

64.41%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$2.79 SRD 104

3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.88 SRD 145

138.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.79 SRD 291

94.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.47 SRD 54.8

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$0.99 SRD 36.98

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$0.98 SRD 36.74

83.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.86 SRD 32.34

47.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$2.06 SRD 76.9

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.52 SRD 19.42

-40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$0.88 SRD 33.08

71.59%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

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

$27.39 MX$514

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,103

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

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$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$302 SRD 11.3K

213.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-33.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays about 3.1 times 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $35 in Lelydorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $115 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

00:59 12:59 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

19,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 37.39 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.75 SRD (100 SRD = 2.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Lelydorp 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $198 in Lelydorp – Lelydorp is about 88% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lelydorp wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.