Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,006

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,006 in Staten Island, NY.

Mexico City $1,608
Staten Island, NY $3,006

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $4,490 in Staten Island, NY.

Mexico City $2,549
Staten Island, NY $4,490

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $5,974 in Staten Island, NY.

Mexico City $3,490
Staten Island, NY $5,974

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 47% less than in Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Staten Island, NY 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$23.28 $23.28

-54.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$89.1 $89.1

-45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$13.60 $13.60

-23.90%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$6.74 $6.74

-45.25%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$2.58 $2.58

-35.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$1.65 $1.65

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$8.04 $8.04

-60.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$7.98 $7.98

-33.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.24 $1.24

38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$4.94 $4.94

-38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$6.42 $6.42

-69.78%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$5.96 $5.96

-51.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$17.57 $17.57

-37.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$13.89 $13.89

-33.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$19.69 $19.69

-23.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$6.52 $6.52

-53.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$3.55 $3.55

-45.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$6.70 $6.70

-69.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$7.03 $7.03

-67.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$4.35 $4.35

-53.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$4.38 $4.38

-58.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

$2.92 $2.92

-49.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$2.81 $2.81

-54.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$19.04 $19.04

-72.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$14.77 $14.77

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$1.82 $1.82

8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$3.52 $3.52

20.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$2.94 $2.94

-89.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

$2.93 $2.93

-37.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$2.16 $2.16

-75.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

$42.42 $42.42

-87.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$1.15 $1.15

31.30%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-36.00%

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-9.82%

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$224 $224

-71.85%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$74.3 $74.3

-63.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

$64.4 $64.4

-44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$116 $116

-48.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$20.64 $20.64

-68.99%

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

$432 MX$8,088

$1,994 $1,994

-78.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$16.3K $16.3K

-29.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

$72.3 $72.3

-5.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$37.91 $37.91

40.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

$105 $105

2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

$107 $107

9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$1,855 $1,855

-39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$1,414 $1,414

-49.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$3,364 $3,364

-23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$2,420 $2,420

-41.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$6,788 $6,788

-86.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.8

66.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47% 99% $703

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Staten Island, NY

$521 17.3% 63.1% $202

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7% 91.8% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Staten Island, NY

$145 4.8% 6.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Staten Island, NY

$362 12.1% 188% $236

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Staten Island, NY

$157 5.2% 119% $85

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Staten Island, NY

$25 * 0.9% 0% $0

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 $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,855 in Staten Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $89 in Staten Island, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $521 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

13:26 1:26 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

495,747

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Staten Island, NY 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Staten Island, 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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, so Mexico City is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% 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 $1,855 in Staten Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $1,994 in Staten Island, 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 $48 versus $89 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,006 in Staten Island, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Staten Island, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Staten Island, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.