Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Seattle, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Mexico City $1,608
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Mexico City $2,549
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Mexico City $3,490
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 58% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$25.30 $25.30

-58.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$101 $101

-52.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$14.76 $14.76

-29.88%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$6.50 $6.50

-43.23%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$3.21 $3.21

-47.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$3.14 $3.14

-59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$7.97 $7.97

-59.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$8.13 $8.13

-34.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$1.17 $1.17

47.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$5.30 $5.30

-42.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$6.40 $6.40

-69.69%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$5.06 $5.06

-42.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$18.71 $18.71

-41.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$18.72 $18.72

-50.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$22.88 $22.88

-33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$6.06 $6.06

-49.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.95 $1.95

-0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$5.51 $5.51

-63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$6.52 $6.52

-64.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$3.49 $3.49

-41.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$3.29 $3.29

-45.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$2.80 $2.80

-47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$2.58 $2.58

-50.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$12.49 $12.49

-57.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$14.87 $14.87

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$4.19 $4.19

-52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$5.80 $5.80

-26.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$3.05 $3.05

-89.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$106 $106

-81.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$2.58 $2.58

-28.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

$1.64 $1.64

-67.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

$30.12 $30.12

-82.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$1.41 $1.41

7.09%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-40.88%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-9.79%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$308 $308

-79.53%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$69.2 $69.2

-60.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$86.1 $86.1

-58.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$76.5 $76.5

-22.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

$35.50 $35.50

-33.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$18.02 $18.02

-64.48%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$2,746 $2,746

-84.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$30.6K $30.6K

-62.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$79.2 $79.2

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$54.3 $54.3

-2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$127 $127

-15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$159 $159

-26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$2,508 $2,508

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$1,938 $1,938

-63.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$5,117 $5,117

-49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$3,542 $3,542

-60.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$7,374 $7,374

-50.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$5,002 $5,002

-57.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$6,470 $6,470

-85.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.89

64.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 173% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 71.2% $227

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 105% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 21% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 267% $337

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 56.8% $41

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 407% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 6.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $547 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

737,015

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Seattle, WA 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Seattle, WA differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $3,785 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 81% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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 58% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.