Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and West Caldwell, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
130

Cost of Living Index in West Caldwell, NJ
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West Caldwell, NJ Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

West Caldwell, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in West Caldwell, NJ

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 West Caldwell, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Mexico City $1,548
West Caldwell, NJ $2,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $3,976 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Mexico City $2,436
West Caldwell, NJ $3,976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $5,123 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Mexico City $3,323
West Caldwell, NJ $5,123

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 45% less than in West Caldwell, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, West Caldwell, NJ 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$21.87 $21.87

-49.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$79.2 $79.2

-38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$12.69 $12.69

-14.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.29 $5.29

-30.43%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$3.00 $3.00

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.30 $2.30

-45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$5.83 $5.83

-44.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$7.85 $7.85

-29.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.40 $1.40

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.42 $4.42

-31.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$7.20 $7.20

-73.33%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$5.10 $5.10

-46.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$12.32 $12.32

-4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$12.94 $12.94

-26.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$18.08 $18.08

-20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.41 $5.41

-44.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.53 $1.53

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$5.06 $5.06

-60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$5.29 $5.29

-58.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.86 $2.86

-32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$3.08 $3.08

-39.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.50 $2.50

-42.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.42 $2.42

-47.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$12.02 $12.02

-56.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$15.29 $15.29

5.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.40 $2.40

-20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$4.43 $4.43

-4.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$2.28 $2.28

-85.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.71 $2.71

-26.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.54 $1.54

-66.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$24.39 $24.39

-78.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.10 $1.10

38.18%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

-29.61%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

-4.84%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$217 $217

-71.89%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$63.1 $63.1

-54.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$65.3 $65.3

-47.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$38.56 $38.56

46.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$15.60 $15.60

-57.31%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$2,198 $2,198

-80.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$42.8K $42.8K

-72.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$47.95 $47.95

41.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$47.46 $47.46

9.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$103 $103

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$138 $138

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,626 $1,626

-36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,447 $1,447

-54.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$2,196 $2,196

5.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$2,075 $2,075

-40.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,488 $2,488

45.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,482 $2,482

-22.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$2,996 $2,996

-67.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.62

70.69%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for West Caldwell, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

West Caldwell, NJ

$1.4K 51.2% 121% $793

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

West Caldwell, NJ

$451 16% 41.9% $133

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

West Caldwell, NJ

$343 12.1% 68.1% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

West Caldwell, NJ

$152 5.4% 0.3% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

West Caldwell, NJ

$346 12.2% 179% $222

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

West Caldwell, NJ

$70 2.5% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

West Caldwell, NJ

$20 * 0.7% 23.8% $6.1

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 $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Caldwell, NJ pays 211% 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 $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $451 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 West Caldwell, NJ

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

03:38 3:38 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

10,797

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City West Caldwell, NJ 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
West Caldwell, NJ

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 West Caldwell, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and West Caldwell, NJ differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $2,828 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 211% lower in West Caldwell, NJ. 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 $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $2,198 in West Caldwell, NJ. 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 $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in West Caldwell, NJ. 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 West Caldwell, NJ 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 83% less than in West Caldwell, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.