Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 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
195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA.

Mexico City $1,608
Los Angeles, CA $4,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA.

Mexico City $2,549
Los Angeles, CA $6,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA.

Mexico City $3,490
Los Angeles, CA $8,148

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 60% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Los Angeles, CA 198% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$27.02 $27.02

-60.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$121 $121

-60.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$15.21 $15.21

-31.95%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$5.78 $5.78

-36.16%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$3.79 $3.79

-55.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$2.69 $2.69

-52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$7.76 $7.76

-58.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$9.98 $9.98

-46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.29 $1.29

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$4.68 $4.68

-35.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$4.58 $4.58

-57.64%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$5.35 $5.35

-45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$11.27 $11.27

-2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$16.16 $16.16

-42.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$19.42 $19.42

-22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$5.24 $5.24

-41.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.33 $2.33

-16.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$4.62 $4.62

-56.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$5.56 $5.56

-58.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$3.38 $3.38

-39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.93 $2.93

-38.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.95 $1.95

-24.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$2.43 $2.43

-47.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$11.99 $11.99

-55.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$15.05 $15.05

6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.94 $2.94

-32.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$2.71 $2.71

56.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$1.72 $1.72

-81.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$105 $105

-81.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$3.05 $3.05

-39.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.87 $1.87

-71.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$32.19 $32.19

-83.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.57 $1.57

-3.82%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-36.93%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$27.0K $27.0K

-11.00%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$280 $280

-77.53%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$78.4 $78.4

-65.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$79.1 $79.1

-54.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$71.2 $71.2

-17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$12.21 $12.21

93.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$18.32 $18.32

-65.07%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$1,722 $1,722

-74.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$31.7K $31.7K

-64.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$91.6 $91.6

-25.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$65.7 $65.7

-19.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$117 $117

-7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$210 $210

-44.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$2,547 $2,547

-56.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$2,295 $2,295

-69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$5,372 $5,372

-51.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$4,158 $4,158

-66.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$7,171 $7,171

-49.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$6,923 $6,923

-69.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$4,204 $4,204

-77.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.86

65.45%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5% 223% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4% 44.6% $142

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2% 109% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4% 39.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8% 247% $312

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7% 50.3% $36

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1% 387% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $121 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $462 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

4,030,904

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Los Angeles, CA 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 81% less than in Los Angeles, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $1,722 in Los Angeles, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, CA. 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 Los Angeles, CA, 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 60% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.