Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Los Ángeles Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Los Ángeles

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $1,101 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $1,668 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $2,234 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 35% more than Los Ángeles, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Los Ángeles is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$8.58 CLP 7,686

51.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$922

$44.15 CLP 39.6K

20.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$8.01 CLP 7,174

21.35%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.70 CLP 2,418

38.89%

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

$1.57 MX$27.27

$1.32 CLP 1,182

18.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.62

$1.07 CLP 957

5.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$3.32 CLP 2,971

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.0

$4.08 CLP 3,653

14.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.18

$1.22 CLP 1,097

32.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.04

$1.56 CLP 1,401

73.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.66

$1.86 CLP 1,665

1.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.60

$3.59 CLP 3,214

-30.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$10.53 CLP 9,435

-4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.75 CLP 6,045

22.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$10.81 CLP 9,689

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.71

$1.84 CLP 1,647

55.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.41

$1.52 CLP 1,360

15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.23

$1.60 CLP 1,435

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.46 CLP 1,308

34.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$1.24 CLP 1,109

74.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.89

$1.40 CLP 1,255

55.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.23 CLP 1,102

13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.55

$1.17 CLP 1,050

-4.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.0

$5.28 CLP 4,734

-20.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$4.56 CLP 4,090

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.64

$1.59 CLP 1,425

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.0

$2.25 CLP 2,020

63.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.70

$0.59 CLP 525

-33.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$324

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.47 CLP 417

195.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.47

$1.38 CLP 1,238

-2.17%

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

$18.9K MX$328.2K

$19.9K CLP 17.8M

-5.20%

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

$23.2K MX$402.4K

$21.8K CLP 19.5M

6.22%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$130 CLP 116.2K

-68.52%

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

$27.50 MX$478

$13.53 CLP 12.1K

103.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$528

$21.63 CLP 19.4K

40.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$929

$39.07 CLP 35.0K

36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$457

$20.99 CLP 18.8K

25.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$5.77 CLP 5,172

8.67%

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

$436 MX$7,580

$433 CLP 387.6K

0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$987

$49.79 CLP 44.6K

14.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$778

$29.71 CLP 26.6K

50.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,787

$61.8 CLP 55.3K

66.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,875

$82.5 CLP 73.9K

30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$475 CLP 425.2K

110.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$375 CLP 335.7K

65.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.1K

$900 CLP 806.3K

137.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$604 CLP 540.8K

104.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.18

118.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $475 in Los Ángeles. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Mexico City versus $44 in Los Ángeles. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $227 – making Los Ángeles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 35% more than Los Ángeles, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $1,652 in Los Ángeles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City and $44.00 in Los Ángeles. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Ángeles, where all-in costs run around $1,101, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Los Ángeles it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Los Ángeles costs $1,101 versus $1,484 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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