Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Modesto, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,740 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,740 in Modesto, CA.

Mexico City $1,674
Modesto, CA $2,740

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $3,936 in Modesto, CA.

Mexico City $2,606
Modesto, CA $3,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $5,133 in Modesto, CA.

Mexico City $3,537
Modesto, CA $5,133

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 39% less than in Modesto, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Modesto, CA 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$14.89 $14.89

-28.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$79.2 $79.2

-34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$8.91 $8.91

20.43%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$5.46 $5.46

-30.40%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$2.68 $2.68

-39.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$1.60 $1.60

-24.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$4.88 $4.88

-34.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$7.09 $7.09

-23.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$1.05 $1.05

63.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$3.71 $3.71

-19.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

$4.12 $4.12

-53.16%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$5.76 $5.76

-51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

$13.08 $13.08

-10.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$13.46 $13.46

-29.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$19.65 $19.65

-21.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

$5.17 $5.17

-40.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

$2.03 $2.03

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

$5.46 $5.46

-63.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

$5.59 $5.59

-58.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

$3.59 $3.59

-43.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

$2.87 $2.87

-36.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

$2.34 $2.34

-34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$2.47 $2.47

-46.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$11.60 $11.60

-53.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

$15.01 $15.01

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

$1.93 $1.93

1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

$3.38 $3.38

28.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

$1.96 $1.96

-84.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

$39.65 $39.65

-50.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

$3.41 $3.41

-43.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

$2.91 $2.91

-83.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$30.09 $30.09

-82.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

$1.46 $1.46

1.37%

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

$36.3K $36.3K

-41.14%

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

-8.25%

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$264 $264

-76.53%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$47.09 $47.09

-39.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$68.1 $68.1

-49.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$37.55 $37.55

55.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

$15.04 $15.04

62.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$10.81 $10.81

-39.04%

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

$434 MX$8,155

$1,852 $1,852

-76.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$9,961 $9,961

40.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$47.99 $47.99

42.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$39.42 $39.42

39.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$93.7 $93.7

18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$121 $121

-4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$1,170 $1,170

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$1,390 $1,390

-44.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$2,030 $2,030

26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$2,180 $2,180

-34.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

$3,564 $3,564

0.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$2,903 $2,903

-28.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$4,122 $4,122

-75.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.1

86.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Modesto, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.7% 80.4% $619

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Modesto, CA

$442 16.2% 36.7% $119

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Modesto, CA

$267 9.8% 33.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Modesto, CA

$136 5% 13.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Modesto, CA

$379 13.8% 204% $255

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Modesto, CA

$59 2.2% 17.3% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Modesto, CA

$65 2.4% 162% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,170 in Modesto, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Modesto, CA pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $79 in Modesto, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $442 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

2 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

211,266

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Modesto, CA 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $2,740 in Modesto, CA, so Mexico City is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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 $1,170 in Modesto, 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 51% less than in Modesto, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $1,852 in Modesto, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Modesto, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.