Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico: $1,284 a month against $2,785 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
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Mexico Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,284

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,284 in Mexico versus $2,784 in the United States.

Mexico $1,284
United States $2,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,031 in Mexico versus $3,982 in the United States.

Mexico $2,031
United States $3,982

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Mexico versus $5,179 in the United States.

Mexico $2,778
United States $5,179

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,174, compared to $762–$2,650 in Mexico. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Mexico costs about 54% less than in the United States on average.

Mexico (4% below) and the United States (108% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 MX$203

$20.22 $20.22

-44.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.65 MX$794

$81.1 $81.1

-46.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 MX$170

$12.12 $12.12

-23.10%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$65.4

$5.36 $5.36

-33.02%

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

$1.43 MX$25.97

$2.77 $2.77

-48.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.83

$2.09 $2.09

-50.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MX$50.8

$5.84 $5.84

-52.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$81.3

$7.92 $7.92

-43.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MX$29.73

$1.04 $1.04

56.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 MX$51.3

$3.56 $3.56

-20.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.21

$4.69 $4.69

-62.26%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.66

$4.43 $4.43

-44.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 MX$166

$12.91 $12.91

-29.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 MX$148

$12.20 $12.20

-33.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$215

$17.00 $17.00

-30.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$53.4

$5.31 $5.31

-44.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$28.66

$1.67 $1.67

-5.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$36.68

$4.49 $4.49

-55.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.51

$5.05 $5.05

-60.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$38.08

$2.83 $2.83

-26.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.29

$3.00 $3.00

-31.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.27

$2.28 $2.28

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.09

$2.27 $2.27

-48.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 MX$83.9

$10.33 $10.33

-55.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 MX$198

$14.72 $14.72

-25.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$31.93

$2.05 $2.05

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$58.9

$3.66 $3.66

-11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.57

$2.33 $2.33

-72.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.30 MX$497

$65.1 $65.1

-58.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 MX$51.4

$3.60 $3.60

-21.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 MX$49.08

$1.90 $1.90

42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 MX$202

$29.81 $29.81

-62.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.41

$1.03 $1.03

40.78%

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

$21.3K MX$387.4K

$35.1K $35.1K

-39.30%

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

$24.1K MX$438.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

-8.24%

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

$69.8 MX$1,269

$216 $216

-67.71%

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

$23.51 MX$428

$62.3 $62.3

-62.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 MX$536

$74.6 $74.6

-60.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.76 MX$687

$44.70 $44.70

-15.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$337

$22.55 $22.55

-17.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.28 MX$96.1

$15.19 $15.19

-65.24%

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

$259 MX$4,720

$1,440 $1,440

-81.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,247 MX$113.6K

$25.2K $25.2K

-75.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 MX$1,059

$53.7 $53.7

8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 MX$757

$42.44 $42.44

-1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,824

$93.4 $93.4

7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 MX$1,700

$115 $115

-18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 MX$13.2K

$1,622 $1,622

-55.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 MX$8,496

$1,357 $1,357

-65.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 MX$25.0K

$2,681 $2,681

-48.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 MX$16.4K

$2,170 $2,170

-58.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,602 MX$47.3K

$3,294 $3,294

-21.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 MX$27.5K

$2,674 $2,674

-43.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 MX$14.6K

$4,242 $4,242

-81.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.44

6.55

74.66%

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

Last update for Mexico: October 4, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico

$467 36.4%

United States

$1.4K 49.4% 190% $889

Groceries & Markets

Mexico

$274 21.4%

United States

$411 15% 49.7% $136

Eating Out

Mexico

$193 15%

United States

$327 11.9% 69.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico

$132 10.3%

United States

$137 5% 3.7% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico

$123 9.6%

United States

$353 12.9% 188% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico

$48 3.8%

United States

$75 2.7% 55.4% $27

Getting Around

Mexico

$46 3.6%

United States

$87 3.2% 89.5% $41

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $629 in Mexico, $1,605 in the United States. Capital cities: $1,062 in Mexico City vs $2,726 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $744 in Mexico, $4,534 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 155% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 70% more in the United States.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 509% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

2 h ahead of Mexico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,777,324

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 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 United States 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico
United States

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 vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,284 per month in Mexico and $2,784 in the United States, there's a 117% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Mexico: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,605 in the United States and $629 in Mexico. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Mexico wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.