Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Pasadena, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Pasadena, CA
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Pasadena, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $4,276 in Pasadena, CA.

Mexico City $1,567
Pasadena, CA $4,276

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $6,133 in Pasadena, CA.

Mexico City $2,450
Pasadena, CA $6,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $7,990 in Pasadena, CA.

Mexico City $3,333
Pasadena, CA $7,990

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 63% less than in Pasadena, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Pasadena, CA 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$17.89 $17.89

-39.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$76.4 $76.4

-34.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$10.11 $10.11

9.79%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$4.61 $4.61

-20.17%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$2.82 $2.82

-41.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$1.59 $1.59

-18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$4.95 $4.95

-32.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$5.71 $5.71

-2.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.39 $1.39

27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$4.00 $4.00

-23.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$2.93 $2.93

-31.40%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$5.22 $5.22

-46.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$13.74 $13.74

-13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$13.94 $13.94

-33.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$12.58 $12.58

19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$4.60 $4.60

-33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$2.25 $2.25

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$4.54 $4.54

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$6.13 $6.13

-63.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$4.64 $4.64

-56.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$2.39 $2.39

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.86 $1.86

-18.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$2.22 $2.22

-42.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$11.64 $11.64

-54.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$10.96 $10.96

47.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.59 $1.59

22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$1.90 $1.90

123.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$1.75 $1.75

-82.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$103 $103

-80.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$3.54 $3.54

-43.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.89 $1.89

-71.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$24.02 $24.02

-76.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.58 $1.58

-3.80%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$33.4K $33.4K

-37.02%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$25.5K $25.5K

-1.37%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$248 $248

-74.84%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$59.1 $59.1

-51.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$64.4 $64.4

-46.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$34.90 $34.90

63.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$35.33 $35.33

-29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$12.21 $12.21

-45.37%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$3,835 $3,835

-88.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$15.2K $15.2K

-22.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$31.04 $31.04

128.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$33.98 $33.98

52.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$71.2 $71.2

52.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$142 $142

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$3,169 $3,169

-66.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$2,907 $2,907

-77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$5,545 $5,545

-57.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$4,978 $4,978

-75.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$8,747 $8,747

-59.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$8,647 $8,647

-77.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$5,199 $5,199

-81.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.33

78.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pasadena, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Pasadena, CA

$2.9K 68% 337% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Pasadena, CA

$407 9.5% 26.1% $84

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Pasadena, CA

$282 6.6% 39.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Pasadena, CA

$125 2.9% 19.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Pasadena, CA

$372 8.7% 196% $246

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Pasadena, CA

$59 1.4% 15.8% $11

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Pasadena, CA

$123 2.9% 376% $97

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $3,169 in Pasadena, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pasadena, CA pays 433% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $76.0 in Pasadena, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $407 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🕒 Local time

11:35 11:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

137,122

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Pasadena, CA 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Mexico City and Pasadena, CA differ by about 173% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $4,276 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 433% lower in Pasadena, CA. 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $3,169 in Pasadena, 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 418% less than in Pasadena, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $3,835 in Pasadena, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Pasadena, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Pasadena, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.