Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Cancun

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,428 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $44,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
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Cancun Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cancun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $1,428 in Cancun, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Cancun $1,428

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $2,290 in Cancun, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Cancun $2,290

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $3,152 in Cancun, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Cancun $3,152

New York, NY costs about 260% more than Cancun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Cancun sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Cancun by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$11.15 MX$203

137.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$54.6 MX$993

117.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$11.30 MX$206

27.70%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.86 MX$70.3

69.69%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.38 MX$25.03

178.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.80 MX$14.62

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$3.08 MX$56.0

168.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.35 MX$79.1

131.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.63 MX$29.66

-19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.71 MX$49.35

80.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.65 MX$29.99

333.94%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.72 MX$49.55

117.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$9.93 MX$181

91.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$8.80 MX$160

97.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$13.88 MX$252

36.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.83 MX$51.5

145.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.67 MX$30.38

24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.20 MX$58.2

90.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.16 MX$39.37

221.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.03 MX$36.93

96.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.90 MX$34.63

133.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.15 MX$20.92

144.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.22 MX$22.26

105.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$4.51 MX$82.0

327.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$10.03 MX$182

96.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.56 MX$28.34

97.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.73 MX$49.67

34.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.64 MX$11.71

371.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$28.64 MX$521

387.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.50 MX$81.8

-31.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.98 MX$54.2

-28.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$13.62 MX$248

202.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 MX$27.58

-26.97%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$21.0K MX$382.2K

66.55%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.5K MX$445.5K

3.70%

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

$217 $217

$172 MX$3,137

26.12%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$23.50 MX$427

214.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$37.97 MX$691

90.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$33.57 MX$611

258.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$13.50 MX$246

395.48%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$7.33 MX$133

204.50%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$205 MX$3,725

1572.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$5,468 MX$99.5K

1018.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$54.9 MX$998

39.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$54.7 MX$996

1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$76.9 MX$1,399

55.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$94.4 MX$1,716

38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$672 MX$12.2K

570.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$464 MX$8,440

579.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,375 MX$25.0K

541.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,075 MX$19.6K

414.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,281 MX$23.3K

1412.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,985 MX$36.1K

240.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$819 MX$14.9K

546.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.45

-40.44%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cancun: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Cancun

$464 32.9% 85.3% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Cancun

$287 20.3% 47.5% $259

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Cancun

$202 14.3% 52.1% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Cancun

$234 16.6% 35.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Cancun

$126 9% 26.4% $45

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Cancun

$51 3.6% 69.4% $115

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Cancun

$48 3.4% 70.8% $117

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $672 in Cancun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 546% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in New York, NY versus $55.0 in Cancun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $287 – making Cancun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇲🇽 Cancun

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

00:49 12:49 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

888,797

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Cancun 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Cancun

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY, $1,428 in Cancun – roughly 260% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $2,141 in Cancun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cancun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $205 in Cancun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 91% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,428, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,428 in Cancun to $5,142 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cancun. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.