Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,315 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

New York, NY, United States
Ajijic, Mexico
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,906
/mo nomad
Ajijic
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,315
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Ajijic

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

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $1,315 in Ajijic, rent included.

  • New York, NY $4,906
  • Ajijic $1,315

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,081 in Ajijic, rent included.

  • New York, NY $7,273
  • Ajijic $2,081

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $2,847 in Ajijic, rent included.

  • New York, NY $9,641
  • Ajijic $2,847

New York, NY costs about 273% more than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 263% above the global median, while Ajijic is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.93 $26.93
$9.65 MX$181
179.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$117 $117
$42.99 MX$807
171.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.60 $14.60
$6.81 MX$128
114.39%
Cappuccino
$6.54 $6.54
$3.54 MX$66.5
84.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 $3.86
$1.58 MX$29.60
144.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$1.16 MX$21.75
154.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.08 $8.08
$2.10 MX$39.48
284.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.85 $9.85
$3.33 MX$62.5
195.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 $1.31
$1.39 MX$26.06
-5.76%
White Bread (500g)
$4.97 $4.97
$2.13 MX$39.91
133.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.70 $7.70
$1.06 MX$19.94
626.42%
Eggs
$6.09 $6.09
$2.25 MX$42.32
170.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.55 $19.55
$7.88 MX$148
148.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.59 $17.59
$8.23 MX$155
113.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.26 $20.26
$7.16 MX$134
182.96%
Apples (1kg)
$6.99 $6.99
$2.25 MX$42.25
210.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.26 MX$23.67
75.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.72 $6.72
$1.45 MX$27.16
363.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.12 $7.12
$1.67 MX$31.40
326.35%
Potato (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$1.53 MX$28.69
201.31%
Onion (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$1.36 MX$25.57
251.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 $2.87
$0.98 MX$18.49
192.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.69 $2.69
$0.89 MX$16.72
202.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.14 $19.14
$4.27 MX$80.1
348.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.63 $19.63
$8.47 MX$159
131.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 $3.32
$1.55 MX$29.17
114.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.32 MX$24.75
217.42%
🚌 Getting Around
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.02 $3.02
$0.62 MX$11.69
387.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 $139
$57.1 MX$1,072
144.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.18 MX$22.15
157.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$4.38 MX$82.2
-49.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.33 $41.33
$4.46 MX$83.8
826.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.45 MX$27.30
-22.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K $34.5K
$24.0K MX$449.8K
43.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$23.6K MX$443.6K
9.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$232 $232
$55.1 MX$1,035
321.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.0 $71.0
$14.41 MX$271
392.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.7 $67.7
$23.94 MX$450
182.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$115 $115
$23.96 MX$450
381.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$76.8 $76.8
$5.46 MX$103
1306.78%
Cinema Ticket
$22.41 $22.41
$4.72 MX$88.6
374.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,606 $3,606
$212 MX$3,990
1597.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$68.7K $68.7K
$2,873 MX$54.0K
2290.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.3 $79.3
$43.73 MX$821
81.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 $51.4
$16.21 MX$304
217.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 $121
$66.0 MX$1,239
83.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$68.4 MX$1,285
105.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,555 $4,555
$849 MX$15.9K
436.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,040 $3,040
$633 MX$11.9K
379.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$9,742 $9,742
$1,511 MX$28.4K
544.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,331 $5,331
$1,255 MX$23.6K
324.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$18.2K $18.2K
$3,326 MX$62.5K
447.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,685 $6,685
$1,767 MX$33.2K
278.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Ajijic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,096 $5,096
$558 MX$10.5K
814.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.89
11.2
-38.48%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
$3K
Ajijic
$633 79.2% $2.4K
Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
$567
Ajijic
$217 61.8% $350
Eating Out
New York, NY
$425
Ajijic
$168 60.4% $257
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
$371
Ajijic
$93 74.8% $278
Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
$176
Ajijic
$87 50.4% $89
Getting Around
New York, NY
$165
Ajijic
$83 50.1% $83
Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
$160
Ajijic
$33 79.1% $127

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $849 in Ajijic. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New York, NY are about 9.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $43 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $217 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🇲🇽 Ajijic
🕒 Local time
12:22 12:22 PM
11:22 11:22 AM
1 h behind New York, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,804,190
11,439
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New York, NY Ajijic 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New York, NY
  • Ajijic

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
New York, NY vs Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ajijic cheaper than New York, NY?
Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 273%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $1,973 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $849 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.
Is eating out cheaper in New York, NY or in Ajijic?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY and $43 in Ajijic. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in New York, NY and in Ajijic?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,906 in New York, NY and $1,315 in Ajijic. That makes Ajijic about 73% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in New York, NY or in Ajijic?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,315, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is New York, NY or Ajijic more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ajijic. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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