Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and McLean, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,991 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
144

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
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McLean, VA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in McLean, VA

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,991 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
McLean, VA $2,991

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $4,744 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
McLean, VA $4,744

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $6,496 in McLean, VA, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
McLean, VA $6,496

Mexico City is about 46% cheaper than McLean, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and McLean, VA sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, McLean, VA by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$16.24 $16.24

-34.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$69.5 $69.5

-30.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$11.39 $11.39

-9.13%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$5.41 $5.41

-31.79%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$2.34 $2.34

-28.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$8.86 $8.86

-64.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$10.14 $10.14

-47.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.29 $1.29

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$4.18 $4.18

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.17 $2.17

-10.60%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$4.76 $4.76

-39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$16.84 $16.84

-34.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$16.61 $16.61

-44.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$18.61 $18.61

-18.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$6.22 $6.22

-50.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.68 $1.68

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$4.99 $4.99

-59.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$5.83 $5.83

-60.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.91 $2.91

-29.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$3.73 $3.73

-51.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$2.60 $2.60

-43.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$2.75 $2.75

-53.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$13.85 $13.85

-61.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$16.02 $16.02

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$3.26 $3.26

-39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$5.68 $5.68

-25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$2.46 $2.46

-87.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$4.02 $4.02

-54.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.58 $1.58

-66.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$24.92 $24.92

-78.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$0.88 $0.88

71.59%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$34.9K $34.9K

-37.62%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

-6.99%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$213 $213

-70.47%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$74.9 $74.9

-63.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$54.7 $54.7

-34.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$88.4 $88.4

-33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$17.64 $17.64

-63.72%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$1,901 $1,901

-77.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$41.7K $41.7K

-72.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$52.2 $52.2

30.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$44.80 $44.80

18.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$70.6 $70.6

52.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$63.9 $63.9

83.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$2,751 $2,751

-59.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,607 $1,607

-55.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$4,026 $4,026

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$3,481 $3,481

-59.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$5,837 $5,837

-83.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.63

71.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for McLean, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.7% 126% $896

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

McLean, VA

$481 16.1% 50.7% $162

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

McLean, VA

$311 10.4% 56.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

McLean, VA

$104 3.5% 33.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

McLean, VA

$343 11.5% 172% $217

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

McLean, VA

$124 4.1% 72.4% $52

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.7% 14.6% $3.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $2,751 in McLean, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in McLean, VA are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $69 in McLean, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $481 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

19:06 7:06 PM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

48,115

💱 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 McLean, VA 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
McLean, VA

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 McLean, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $2,991 in McLean, VA – Mexico City comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $4,487 in McLean, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $2,751 in McLean, VA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,991 in McLean, VA. That makes Mexico City about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $1,901 in McLean, VA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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, McLean, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.