Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Monrovia

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia: $1,296 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Monrovia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,296 in Monrovia.

Mexico City $1,561
Monrovia $1,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,926 in Monrovia.

Mexico City $2,440
Monrovia $1,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $2,556 in Monrovia.

Mexico City $3,319
Monrovia $2,556

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than in Monrovia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Monrovia is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$7.33 LRD 1,248

51.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$10.87 LRD 1,850

3.31%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$2.96 LRD 505

27.03%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$2.01 LRD 343

-17.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$2.04 LRD 348

-37.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$3.92 LRD 667

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$2.94 LRD 501

92.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$2.13 LRD 363

-15.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$1.81 LRD 308

62.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$5.11 LRD 870

-59.88%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$3.53 LRD 602

-17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$7.82 LRD 1,332

52.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$12.03 LRD 2,048

-20.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$13.53 LRD 2,303

9.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$1.59 LRD 272

97.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$8.28 LRD 1,410

-75.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$10.11 LRD 1,721

-79.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$11.03 LRD 1,878

-79.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$2.25 LRD 384

-8.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$10.54 LRD 1,795

-82.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$4.77 LRD 812

-68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$2.06 LRD 350

-34.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$4.87 LRD 829

11.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$7.16 LRD 1,219

135.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$2.43 LRD 413

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$3.44 LRD 586

25.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$3.04 LRD 518

-88.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$19.82 LRD 3,374

2.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$2.06 LRD 350

1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$1.91 LRD 324

-72.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$25.14 LRD 4,280

-78.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$1.22 LRD 208

24.59%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$19.8K LRD 3.4M

9.52%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

68.66%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$149 LRD 25.4K

-57.81%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$22.06 LRD 3,756

30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$184 LRD 31.2K

-81.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$62.4 LRD 10.6K

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$10.04 LRD 1,710

148.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$5.14 LRD 876

31.71%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$98.2 LRD 16.7K

335.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$1,018 LRD 173.3K

1066.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$24.95 LRD 4,248

180.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$32.14 LRD 5,472

67.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$55.0 LRD 9,366

99.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$91.5 LRD 15.6K

25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$253 LRD 43.1K

319.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$96.0 LRD 16.4K

598.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$650 LRD 110.6K

266.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$267 LRD 45.5K

371.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$704 LRD 119.8K

41.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Monrovia

$96 7.5% 85.7% $575

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Monrovia

$456 35.6% 39.6% $130

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Monrovia

$169 13.1% 18.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Monrovia

$92 7.1% 41.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Monrovia

$355 27.6% 182% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Monrovia

$73 5.7% 4.8% $3.3

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Monrovia

$44 3.4% 65.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $253 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

10:29 10:29 AM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,010,970 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Liberian Dollar LRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LRD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 170 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Monrovia 9,600 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Monrovia

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 Monrovia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Monrovia differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $1,296 including rent). Monrovia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $253 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $98.2 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,296 in Monrovia versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.