Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Saratoga Springs, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, NY
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Saratoga Springs, NY Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Saratoga Springs, NY

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 Saratoga Springs, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Mexico City $1,561
Saratoga Springs, NY $2,870

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $4,028 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Mexico City $2,440
Saratoga Springs, NY $4,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $5,185 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Mexico City $3,319
Saratoga Springs, NY $5,185

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 46% less than in Saratoga Springs, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Saratoga Springs, NY 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$17.82 $17.82

-37.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$77.8 $77.8

-37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$8.23 $8.23

36.45%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$5.33 $5.33

-29.46%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$2.65 $2.65

-37.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$1.93 $1.93

-33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$6.68 $6.68

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$7.35 $7.35

-22.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$0.88 $0.88

105.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$3.36 $3.36

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$4.50 $4.50

-54.44%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$3.92 $3.92

-25.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$10.86 $10.86

10.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$13.76 $13.76

-30.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$18.00 $18.00

-17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$6.48 $6.48

-51.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.43 $1.43

40.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$5.27 $5.27

-60.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$6.97 $6.97

-68.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$3.00 $3.00

-31.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$3.36 $3.36

-44.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$2.42 $2.42

-38.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$2.74 $2.74

-50.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$12.86 $12.86

-57.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$14.77 $14.77

14.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$2.95 $2.95

-32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$4.79 $4.79

-9.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$3.82 $3.82

-45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$2.17 $2.17

-75.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$29.63 $29.63

-81.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$0.96 $0.96

58.33%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$33.9K $33.9K

-35.87%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$24.9K $24.9K

-0.30%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$236 $236

-73.28%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$52.4 $52.4

-44.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$58.4 $58.4

-41.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$59.6 $59.6

-6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$20.12 $20.12

23.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$14.95 $14.95

-54.72%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$1,387 $1,387

-69.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$17.7K $17.7K

-32.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$53.8 $53.8

30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$48.61 $48.61

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$93.2 $93.2

17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$101 $101

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$2,517 $2,517

-57.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$1,543 $1,543

-56.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$3,051 $3,051

-22.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$2,169 $2,169

-41.89%

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

$4,942 $4,942

-79.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.66

69.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Saratoga Springs, NY: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$1.5K 53.9% 130% $872

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$441 15.4% 34.8% $114

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$298 10.4% 43.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$134 4.7% 14.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$346 12.1% 175% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$89 3.1% 29% $20

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$15 * 0.5% 44.3% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $2,517 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saratoga Springs, NY pays 396% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $441 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, NY

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

03:35 3:35 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

28,491

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Saratoga Springs, NY 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Saratoga Springs, NY

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 Saratoga Springs, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Saratoga Springs, NY differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $2,870 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 396% lower in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $2,517 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $1,387 in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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 $49.00 versus $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Saratoga Springs, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Saratoga Springs, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.