Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and University Place, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,876 in University Place, WA.

Mexico City $1,674
University Place, WA $2,876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $4,279 in University Place, WA.

Mexico City $2,606
University Place, WA $4,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $5,682 in University Place, WA.

Mexico City $3,537
University Place, WA $5,682

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 42% less than in University Place, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, University Place, WA 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$198

$23.38 $23.38

-54.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$972

$101 $101

-48.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$12.15 $12.15

-11.69%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.0

$6.08 $6.08

-37.50%

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

$1.61 MX$30.16

$3.12 $3.12

-48.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.67

$3.14 $3.14

-61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

$7.93 $7.93

-59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$7.86 $7.86

-30.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.10 $1.10

56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.5

$4.05 $4.05

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.02

$5.95 $5.95

-67.56%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.9

$4.97 $4.97

-44.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$218

$16.11 $16.11

-27.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$177

$18.19 $18.19

-47.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$288

$23.33 $23.33

-34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.1

$5.91 $5.91

-47.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$1.77 $1.77

10.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.07

$5.55 $5.55

-64.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.68

$4.48 $4.48

-47.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.85

$3.48 $3.48

-41.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.13

$2.82 $2.82

-35.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.89

$1.96 $1.96

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.54

$3.06 $3.06

-57.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$12.43 $12.43

-56.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

$18.17 $18.17

-10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

$1.75 $1.75

12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

$4.95 $4.95

-12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.70

$2.13 $2.13

-85.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$365

$65.8 $65.8

-70.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$2.66 $2.66

-27.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.84

$1.70 $1.70

-72.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$30.49 $30.49

-82.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.75

$1.45 $1.45

2.07%

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

$21.4K MX$399.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-23.40%

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

$23.8K MX$444.3K

$26.5K $26.5K

-10.33%

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

$62.0 MX$1,160

$233 $233

-73.40%

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

$28.47 MX$533

$68.7 $68.7

-58.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$638

$88.6 $88.6

-61.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,092

$39.56 $39.56

47.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$17.88 $17.88

-63.14%

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

$434 MX$8,122

$2,087 $2,087

-79.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$262.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

-49.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,278

$60.3 $60.3

13.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,025

$44.90 $44.90

22.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,073

$130 $130

-14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,169

$127 $127

-9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$1,573 $1,573

-25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.4K

$1,280 $1,280

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.1K

$2,599 $2,599

-1.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.6K

$2,111 $2,111

-32.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

$2,918 $2,918

22.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

$2,644 $2,644

-21.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$8,149 $8,149

-87.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.64

70.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for University Place, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

University Place, WA

$1.3K 44.5% 66.1% $509

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

University Place, WA

$505 17.6% 56% $181

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

University Place, WA

$377 13.1% 87.9% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

University Place, WA

$163 5.7% 3.5% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

University Place, WA

$390 13.6% 213% $266

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

University Place, WA

$75 2.6% 5.3% $3.8

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

University Place, WA

$85 3% 242% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,573 in University Place, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

University Place, WA pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $101 in University Place, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $505 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

2 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

34,866

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City University Place, WA 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
University Place, 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 University Place, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $2,876 in University Place, WA, so Mexico City is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 88% 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,573 in University Place, 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 70% less than in University Place, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $2,087 in University Place, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 42% less than in University Place, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.