Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Union City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
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Union City, TN Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Union City, TN.

Mexico City $1,548
Union City, TN $1,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,486 in Union City, TN.

Mexico City $2,436
Union City, TN $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,318 in Union City, TN.

Mexico City $3,323
Union City, TN $3,318

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 6% less than in Union City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Union City, TN 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$9.87 $9.87

11.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$50.3 $50.3

-3.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.95 $6.95

56.83%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.11 $3.11

18.33%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.20 $2.20

-25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.56 $1.56

-19.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$3.90 $3.90

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$3.89 $3.89

42.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.92 $0.92

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.38 $2.38

26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.07 $2.07

-7.25%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.69 $2.69

1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$7.88 $7.88

49.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$8.85 $8.85

7.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$18.69 $18.69

-22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.44 $4.44

-31.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.26 $1.26

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.70 $2.70

-26.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.43 $4.43

-50.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.19 $2.19

-12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.83 $1.83

2.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.77 $1.77

-18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$1.38 $1.38

-7.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$6.83 $6.83

-23.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$13.97 $13.97

15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.05 $2.05

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.84 $1.84

129.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.85 $1.85

-81.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$4.85 $4.85

-58.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.52 $1.52

-65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$21.16 $21.16

-74.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.83 $0.83

83.13%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$37.1K $37.1K

-40.45%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$27.3K $27.3K

-10.15%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$228 $228

-73.23%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$33.13 $33.13

-13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$75.2 $75.2

-54.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$41.53 $41.53

35.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$7.06 $7.06

252.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$14.82 $14.82

-55.06%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,465 $1,465

-70.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$30.8K $30.8K

-62.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$55.4 $55.4

22.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$43.06 $43.06

20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$90.9 $90.9

16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$136 $136

-17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$724 $724

41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$585 $585

11.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,155 $1,155

99.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,099 $1,099

13.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,327 $2,327

55.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,591 $2,591

-25.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$2,019 $2,019

-52.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.55

72.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Union City, TN

$585 35.4% 10.6% $69

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Union City, TN

$315 19% 1.1% $3.6

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Union City, TN

$179 10.9% 12% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Union City, TN

$147 8.9% 3.7% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Union City, TN

$336 20.4% 171% $212

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Union City, TN

$71 4.3% 2.1% $1.5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2% 22.6% $5.8

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 $1,025 in Mexico City and $724 in Union City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, TN pays 109% 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 $50.0 in Union City, TN. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $315, with Union City, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

63,930

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Union City, TN 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Union City, TN differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $1,653 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 109% lower in Union City, TN. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $724 in Union City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $1,465 in Union City, TN. 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 $50.0 in Union City, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Union City, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Union City, TN. 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 7% less than in Union City, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.