Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Walnut, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $2,720 in Walnut, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Walnut, CA
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Walnut, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Walnut, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Walnut, CA

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 Walnut, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,720 in Walnut, CA.

Mexico City $1,561
Walnut, CA $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $4,074 in Walnut, CA.

Mexico City $2,440
Walnut, CA $4,074

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $5,428 in Walnut, CA.

Mexico City $3,319
Walnut, CA $5,428

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 43% less than in Walnut, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Walnut, CA 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$205

$19.96 $19.96

-44.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$902

$79.4 $79.4

-38.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$207

$15.16 $15.16

-25.92%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.2

$6.28 $6.28

-40.13%

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

$1.65 MX$30.43

$3.54 $3.54

-53.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.56

$2.38 $2.38

-46.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$60.0

$7.42 $7.42

-56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$9.48 $9.48

-40.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.33

$1.04 $1.04

74.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.2

$4.01 $4.01

-26.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.74

$4.91 $4.91

-58.25%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.9

$4.71 $4.71

-37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$220

$13.13 $13.13

-8.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$19.93 $19.93

-52.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$15.15 $15.15

-2.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.9

$4.92 $4.92

-36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.11

$1.65 $1.65

21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.23

$5.57 $5.57

-62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.86

$5.80 $5.80

-61.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.94

$3.60 $3.60

-42.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.57

$2.21 $2.21

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.27

$1.94 $1.94

-23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.78

$1.92 $1.92

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.6

$11.78 $11.78

-54.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$311

$14.83 $14.83

13.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.55

$1.92 $1.92

3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.6

$4.21 $4.21

2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.35

$1.97 $1.97

-82.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$373

$59.8 $59.8

-66.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.59

$6.31 $6.31

-66.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.77

$1.97 $1.97

-73.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.6

$32.09 $32.09

-83.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.00

$1.54 $1.54

-1.30%

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

$21.7K MX$400.3K

$37.6K $37.6K

-42.13%

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

$24.8K MX$457.0K

$27.0K $27.0K

-7.94%

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

$63.0 MX$1,160

$168 $168

-62.52%

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

$28.88 MX$532

$66.2 $66.2

-56.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$625

$59.6 $59.6

-43.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,028

$45.52 $45.52

22.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$125

$15.02 $15.02

-54.93%

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

$428 MX$7,879

$1,887 $1,887

-77.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.7K

$22.2K $22.2K

-46.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,290

$56.5 $56.5

23.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$990

$40.22 $40.22

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,022

$93.1 $93.1

17.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,122

$144 $144

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.6K

$1,373 $1,373

-22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.4K

$1,388 $1,388

-51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.8K

$2,540 $2,540

-6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.2K

$1,856 $1,856

-32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.4K

$3,068 $3,068

21.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.4K

$2,076 $2,076

-4.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.39

76.84%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Walnut, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Walnut, CA

$1.4K 49.5% 107% $717

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Walnut, CA

$453 16.2% 38.6% $126

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Walnut, CA

$360 12.9% 74% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Walnut, CA

$150 5.4% 4.3% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Walnut, CA

$294 10.5% 134% $168

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Walnut, CA

$76 2.7% 9% $6.2

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Walnut, CA

$84 3% 218% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $1,373 in Walnut, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $79.0 in Walnut, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $453 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Walnut, CA

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

31,294

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 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 Walnut, CA 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Walnut, CA

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 Walnut, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Walnut, CA differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $2,720 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,341 in Mexico City and $4,080 in Walnut, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $1,373 in Walnut, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 196% less than in Walnut, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $1,887 in Walnut, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,720 in Walnut, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Walnut, CA. 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 Walnut, CA 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 74% less than in Walnut, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.