Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia, CA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, CA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Monrovia, CA versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Monrovia, CA $2,704
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Monrovia, CA versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Monrovia, CA $4,049
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,394 in Monrovia, CA versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Monrovia, CA $5,394
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Monrovia, CA is roughly 75% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monrovia, CA 100% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$11.02 MX$204

126.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$48.68 MX$900

107.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 $11.66

$10.90 MX$201

6.97%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$3.68 MX$68.1

52.45%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.63 MX$30.18

64.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.25 MX$23.07

57.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.25 MX$60.1

153.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 $9.63

$5.53 MX$102

74.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.70 MX$31.50

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.02 MX$55.8

93.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.92 MX$35.53

120.31%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$2.73 MX$50.5

80.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$11.77 MX$218

5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$9.53 MX$176

119.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$14.41 MX$266

-2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.02 MX$55.8

86.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.89 MX$35.01

-10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.99 MX$36.70

115.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$2.19 MX$40.38

189.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.92 MX$35.43

89.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.87 MX$34.49

87.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.44 MX$26.62

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.27 MX$23.39

78.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$5.22 MX$96.4

122.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$16.17 MX$299

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.90 MX$35.03

-7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$4.22 MX$78.0

-26.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.34 MX$6.30

473.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.00 MX$36.90

130.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.52 MX$9.67

248.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$5.34 MX$98.7

566.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 MX$28.13

5.26%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

25.58%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

8.39%

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

$218 $218

$61.1 MX$1,129

257.13%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$28.58 MX$528

153.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$34.47 MX$637

106.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.11 $39.11

$56.4 MX$1,042

-30.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$6.66 MX$123

77.03%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$427 MX$7,891

356.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

266.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$67.8 MX$1,253

7.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 $40.92

$52.0 MX$960

-21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$106 MX$1,959

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$113 MX$2,080

52.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$1,025 MX$18.9K

53.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$654 MX$12.1K

88.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$2,308 MX$42.7K

7.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$1,242 MX$22.9K

64.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 $2,557

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-29.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$1,936 MX$35.8K

21.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.3

-41.24%

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

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 47% $581

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 33.4% $159

Eating Out

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 46.4% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4%

Mexico City

$124 8% 65.7% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 7.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 11.1% $7

Getting Around

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 19.4% $4.2

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 $1,577 in Monrovia, CA and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Monrovia, CA vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

1 h ahead of Monrovia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,590

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Monrovia, CA Mexico City 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia, CA
Mexico City

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

Monrovia, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monrovia, CA and Mexico City differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,704 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,056 in Monrovia, CA and $2,322 in Mexico City 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: $1,577 in Monrovia, CA versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Monrovia, CA versus $427 in Mexico City. 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 $101 in Monrovia, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Monrovia, 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, Monrovia, CA and Mexico City 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 75% less than in Monrovia, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.