Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ottawa, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,495 in Ottawa, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
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Ottawa, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ottawa, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $2,495 in Ottawa, IL.

Mexico City $1,608
Ottawa, IL $2,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $3,579 in Ottawa, IL.

Mexico City $2,549
Ottawa, IL $3,579

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $4,663 in Ottawa, IL.

Mexico City $3,490
Ottawa, IL $4,663

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 36% less than in Ottawa, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Ottawa, IL 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$14.87 $14.87

-28.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$59.8 $59.8

-19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$9.81 $9.81

5.50%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$4.79 $4.79

-22.96%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$2.17 $2.17

-23.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.79 $1.79

-29.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$5.47 $5.47

-41.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$5.36 $5.36

-0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$0.78 $0.78

120.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$3.11 $3.11

-2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$3.00 $3.00

-35.33%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.85 $3.85

-24.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$12.28 $12.28

-10.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$5.99 $5.99

54.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$12.40 $12.40

22.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.53 $3.53

-13.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.44 $1.44

34.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$3.22 $3.22

-36.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$4.36 $4.36

-47.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.02 $2.02

0.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.26 $2.26

-20.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$2.20 $2.20

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.22 $1.22

4.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$12.39 $12.39

-57.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$14.80 $14.80

8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.16 $2.16

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$3.92 $3.92

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$1.92 $1.92

-83.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$63.2 $63.2

-68.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.48 $2.48

-25.81%

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

$28.24 $28.24

-81.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.12 $1.12

34.82%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-19.72%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-11.61%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$241 $241

-73.82%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$45.26 $45.26

-39.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$68.2 $68.2

-47.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$36.92 $36.92

59.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$26.55 $26.55

-10.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$11.43 $11.43

-44.01%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$1,012 $1,012

-57.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$19.8K $19.8K

-42.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$49.00 $49.00

39.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$44.39 $44.39

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$118 $118

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$121 $121

-3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$1,494 $1,494

-25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,276 $1,276

-44.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$2,510 $2,510

3.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$2,088 $2,088

-32.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$3,189 $3,189

13.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$2,643 $2,643

-19.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$2,383 $2,383

-60.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.82

66.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ottawa, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Ottawa, IL

$1.3K 51.2% 79.7% $566

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Ottawa, IL

$314 12.6% 1.9% $5.9

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Ottawa, IL

$260 10.4% 30.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Ottawa, IL

$150 6% 3.9% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Ottawa, IL

$354 14.2% 181% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Ottawa, IL

$60 2.4% 16.7% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Ottawa, IL

$81 3.3% 219% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,494 in Ottawa, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ottawa, IL pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $60 in Ottawa, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $314, with Ottawa, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

17:56 5:56 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

18,342

💱 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 Ottawa, IL 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Ottawa, IL

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 Ottawa, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,495 in Ottawa, IL, so Mexico City is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,494 in Ottawa, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $1,012 in Ottawa, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $60 in Ottawa, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Ottawa, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.