Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newark, NJ and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,069 in Newark, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Newark, NJ
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Newark, NJ Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Newark, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,069

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,069 in Newark, NJ versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Newark, NJ $3,069
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,584 in Newark, NJ versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Newark, NJ $4,584
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,098 in Newark, NJ versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Newark, NJ $6,098
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Newark, NJ is roughly 98% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newark, NJ 127% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$11.02 MX$204

83.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$48.68 MX$900

102.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.21 $14.21

$10.90 MX$201

30.37%

Cappuccino

$6.36 $6.36

$3.68 MX$68.1

72.83%

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

$3.73 $3.73

$1.63 MX$30.18

128.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.25 MX$23.07

97.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.25 MX$60.1

145.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 $9.97

$5.53 MX$102

80.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.70 MX$31.50

-19.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.02 MX$55.8

49.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$1.92 MX$35.53

292.19%

Eggs

$5.90 $5.90

$2.73 MX$50.5

116.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 $7.22

$11.77 MX$218

-38.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.30 $17.30

$9.53 MX$176

81.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$14.41 MX$266

32.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.02 MX$55.8

123.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.89 MX$35.01

21.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.39 $6.39

$1.99 MX$36.70

221.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$2.19 MX$40.38

204.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.92 MX$35.43

109.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.87 MX$34.49

133.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.44 MX$26.62

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.27 MX$23.39

107.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$5.22 MX$96.4

127.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.62 $19.62

$16.17 MX$299

21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.90 MX$35.03

0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.22 MX$78.0

-35.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.13 $6.13

$0.34 MX$6.30

1702.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 $54.7

$19.65 MX$363

178.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.00 MX$36.90

51.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.52 MX$9.67

315.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.49 $42.49

$5.34 MX$98.7

695.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.52 MX$28.13

-31.58%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

23.76%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

5.84%

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

$213 $213

$61.1 MX$1,129

248.17%

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

$75.4 $75.4

$28.58 MX$528

163.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$34.47 MX$637

104.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 $29.52

$56.4 MX$1,042

-47.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 $17.80

$24.88 MX$460

-28.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$6.66 MX$123

121.02%

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

$2,129 $2,129

$427 MX$7,891

398.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.3K $61.3K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

426.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$67.8 MX$1,253

-10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.55 $27.55

$52.0 MX$960

-46.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$106 MX$1,959

14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$113 MX$2,080

22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 $2,577

$1,025 MX$18.9K

151.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 $1,535

$654 MX$12.1K

134.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,332 $4,332

$2,308 MX$42.7K

87.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 $2,608

$1,242 MX$22.9K

109.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,702 $5,702

$3,613 MX$66.8K

57.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,577 $5,577

$1,936 MX$35.8K

188.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,568 $3,568

$964 MX$17.8K

270.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

11.3

-40.88%

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

Last update for Newark, NJ: 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

Newark, NJ

$1.5K 50%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 57.4% $881

Groceries & Markets

Newark, NJ

$502 16.4%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 36.6% $184

Eating Out

Newark, NJ

$365 11.9%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 44.2% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newark, NJ

$359 11.7%

Mexico City

$124 8% 65.4% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Newark, NJ

$156 5.1%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 2.5% $3.8

Getting Around

Newark, NJ

$93 3%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 72.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Newark, NJ

$59 1.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 18.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,577 in Newark, NJ and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newark, NJ pays 270% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99.0 in Newark, NJ vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newark, NJ

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

2 h behind Newark, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

311,549

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Newark, NJ Mexico City 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Newark, NJ
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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

Newark, NJ vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newark, NJ and Mexico City differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($3,069 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 270% higher in Newark, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,577 in Newark, NJ versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 178% less than in Newark, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,129 in Newark, NJ versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,069 in Newark, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Newark, NJ. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Newark, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.