Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mesa, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,573 in Mesa, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Mesa, AZ
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Mesa, AZ Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Mesa, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Mesa, AZ

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $2,573 in Mesa, AZ, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Mesa, AZ $2,573

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $3,821 in Mesa, AZ, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Mesa, AZ $3,821

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $5,069 in Mesa, AZ, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Mesa, AZ $5,069

Mexico City is about 40% cheaper than Mesa, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Mesa, AZ sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Mesa, AZ by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$19.81 $19.81

-44.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$79.1 $79.1

-38.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$13.37 $13.37

-18.47%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.96 $5.96

-38.26%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.67 $2.67

-38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.18 $2.18

-42.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$5.95 $5.95

-45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$7.48 $7.48

-26.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.94 $0.94

80.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.08 $4.08

-25.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$5.95 $5.95

-67.73%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.61 $4.61

-40.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$13.64 $13.64

-13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$13.63 $13.63

-30.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$17.03 $17.03

-15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.45 $5.45

-44.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.87 $1.87

1.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$4.16 $4.16

-52.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$5.29 $5.29

-58.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$3.33 $3.33

-42.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$3.02 $3.02

-38.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.17 $2.17

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.60 $2.60

-51.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$10.95 $10.95

-52.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$14.24 $14.24

13.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.49 $2.49

-23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.45 $3.45

22.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$2.54 $2.54

-86.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$34.80 $34.80

-43.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.79 $2.79

-28.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.35 $1.35

-61.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$35.96 $35.96

-85.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.15 $1.15

32.17%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$36.9K $36.9K

-40.14%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.4K $26.4K

-6.99%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$234 $234

-73.92%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$62.5 $62.5

-54.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$72.7 $72.7

-52.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$41.52 $41.52

35.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$11.12 $11.12

123.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$12.81 $12.81

-48.01%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,178 $1,178

-63.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$15.4K $15.4K

-24.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$54.4 $54.4

24.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$43.70 $43.70

18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$98.9 $98.9

7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$114 $114

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,380 $1,380

-25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,170 $1,170

-44.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$2,300 $2,300

0.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,998 $1,998

-37.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$3,186 $3,186

13.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,747 $2,747

-29.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$4,310 $4,310

-77.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.44

75.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mesa, AZ: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Mesa, AZ

$1.2K 45.5% 78.8% $515

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Mesa, AZ

$438 17% 37.6% $120

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Mesa, AZ

$334 13% 63.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Mesa, AZ

$140 5.5% 8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Mesa, AZ

$369 14.4% 198% $245

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Mesa, AZ

$67 2.6% 3.7% $2.5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Mesa, AZ

$55 2.1% 113% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,380 in Mesa, AZ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 347% higher in Mesa, AZ, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $79.0 in Mesa, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $438 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Mesa, AZ

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

504,258

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Mesa, AZ 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Mesa, AZ

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 Mesa, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mesa, AZ costs about 66% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $3,859 in Mesa, AZ. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $79.0 in Mesa, AZ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $2,573 in Mesa, AZ. That's a gap of about 66%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Mesa, AZ at $2,573. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mesa, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,548 versus $2,573 in Mesa, AZ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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