Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Long Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $3,170 in Long Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 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
152

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
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Long Beach, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Long Beach, CA

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 Long Beach, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,170 in Long Beach, CA.

Mexico City $1,674
Long Beach, CA $3,170

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $4,689 in Long Beach, CA.

Mexico City $2,606
Long Beach, CA $4,689

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $6,209 in Long Beach, CA.

Mexico City $3,537
Long Beach, CA $6,209

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 47% less than in Long Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Long Beach, CA 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$19.97 $19.97

-46.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$81.0 $81.0

-35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$15.09 $15.09

-28.89%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.6

$6.05 $6.05

-37.19%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$3.45 $3.45

-53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$2.42 $2.42

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$7.53 $7.53

-57.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$9.64 $9.64

-43.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$1.05 $1.05

63.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$4.15 $4.15

-28.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$4.73 $4.73

-59.20%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$4.77 $4.77

-41.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$12.84 $12.84

-9.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$20.28 $20.28

-53.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$15.61 $15.61

-1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$4.92 $4.92

-36.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.71 $1.71

14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$5.56 $5.56

-64.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$5.93 $5.93

-60.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$3.71 $3.71

-45.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$2.25 $2.25

-19.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$1.99 $1.99

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$1.83 $1.83

-28.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$11.86 $11.86

-54.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$15.24 $15.24

6.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$1.91 $1.91

2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$4.06 $4.06

7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$1.23 $1.23

-75.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

$65.3 $65.3

-70.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$3.05 $3.05

-37.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$1.82 $1.82

-74.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$35.98 $35.98

-84.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.59 $1.59

-6.92%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$28.3K $28.3K

-24.43%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$27.4K $27.4K

-13.30%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$170 $170

-63.55%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$66.3 $66.3

-57.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$60.0 $60.0

-43.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$36.19 $36.19

61.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$15.20 $15.20

-56.64%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$1,936 $1,936

-77.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$17.7K $17.7K

-20.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$57.5 $57.5

18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$39.27 $39.27

39.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$91.2 $91.2

21.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,158

$147 $147

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$2,097 $2,097

-43.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$1,759 $1,759

-56.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$3,556 $3,556

-27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$3,038 $3,038

-53.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$7,121 $7,121

-49.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$6,423 $6,423

-67.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$4,670 $4,670

-78.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.31

79.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Long Beach, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 55.5% 128% $988

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Long Beach, CA

$457 14.4% 41.3% $134

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Long Beach, CA

$358 11.3% 78.5% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.8% 4.3% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Long Beach, CA

$296 9.4% 138% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Long Beach, CA

$67 2.1% 6.9% $5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Long Beach, CA

$82 2.6% 230% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $2,097 in Long Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Beach, CA pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $81 in Long Beach, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $457 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

2 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

469,450

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Long Beach, CA 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Long Beach, CA

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 Long Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $3,170 in Long Beach, CA, so Mexico City is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% 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 $2,097 in Long Beach, CA. 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 $81 in Long Beach, CA. 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 $3,170 in Long Beach, CA – Mexico City is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,170 in Long Beach, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Long Beach, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Long Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.