Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and West New York, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in West New York, NJ: $1,328 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in West New York, NJ
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West New York, NJ Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

West New York, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in West New York, 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 New York, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,328 in West New York, NJ.

Mexico City $1,567
West New York, NJ $1,328

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $2,216 in West New York, NJ.

Mexico City $2,450
West New York, NJ $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $3,105 in West New York, NJ.

Mexico City $3,333
West New York, NJ $3,105

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in West New York, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, West New York, NJ is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$19.37 $19.37

-44.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$80.7 $80.7

-37.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$12.85 $12.85

-13.62%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.14 $5.14

-28.40%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$2.47 $2.47

-33.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$1.12 $1.12

16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$5.83 $5.83

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$7.11 $7.11

-22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.33 $1.33

33.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$4.61 $4.61

-33.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$6.14 $6.14

-67.26%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$5.09 $5.09

-45.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$13.84 $13.84

-13.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$10.32 $10.32

-9.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$19.61 $19.61

-23.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$6.08 $6.08

-49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$3.60 $3.60

-45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$4.22 $4.22

-51.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$5.20 $5.20

-57.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$3.11 $3.11

-35.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$3.11 $3.11

-41.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$3.00 $3.00

-49.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$3.07 $3.07

-58.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$12.15 $12.15

-56.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$15.23 $15.23

5.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.85 $1.85

5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$3.56 $3.56

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$3.73 $3.73

-91.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$125 $125

-84.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$3.05 $3.05

-34.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$2.14 $2.14

-75.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$41.57 $41.57

-86.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.86 $0.86

76.74%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

-40.80%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$25.0K $25.0K

0.76%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$85.6 $85.6

-26.96%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$49.16 $49.16

-41.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$50.7 $50.7

-32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$29.02 $29.02

96.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$20.62 $20.62

-67.65%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$1,980 $1,980

-78.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$15.9K $15.9K

-26.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$49.87 $49.87

41.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$81.3 $81.3

-36.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$86.4 $86.4

25.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$101 $101

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$2,629 $2,629

-60.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$5,369 $5,369

-81.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.36

77.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for West New York, NJ: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

West New York, NJ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

West New York, NJ

$462 34.8% 43.3% $140

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

West New York, NJ

$313 23.6% 54.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

West New York, NJ

$143 10.8% 7.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

West New York, NJ

$185 14% 47.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

West New York, NJ

$70 5.3% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

West New York, NJ

$153 11.5% 494% $127

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 $1,051 in Mexico City and $2,629 in West New York, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West New York, NJ pays 451% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $81.0 in West New York, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $462 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 West New York, NJ

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

49,708

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City West New York, NJ 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
West New York, 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 New York, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and West New York, NJ differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $1,328 including rent). West New York, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 451% lower in West New York, 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $2,629 in West New York, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in West New York, NJ runs roughly 528% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $1,980 in West New York, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,328 in West New York, NJ versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in West New York, NJ but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes West New York, NJ 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 West New York, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.