Cost of Living Comparison Between Plainfield, IL and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Plainfield, IL and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,656 in Plainfield, IL versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,765 in Plainfield, IL versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,874 in Plainfield, IL versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Plainfield, IL is roughly 79% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Plainfield, IL 97% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$13.29 MX$231

13.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 $88.3

$53.8 MX$933

64.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 $11.67

$9.29 MX$161

25.62%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$3.61 MX$62.6

47.09%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.56 MX$27.03

80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.12 MX$19.46

105.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.13 MX$54.3

95.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$4.71 MX$81.7

67.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.70 MX$29.54

-54.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.77 MX$48.03

-3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.96 MX$34.05

65.31%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$2.60 MX$45.21

96.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$9.94 MX$173

-13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$8.10 MX$141

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 $13.66

$11.50 MX$200

18.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.87 MX$49.84

57.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.73 MX$30.07

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.00 MX$34.73

47.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.04 MX$35.38

69.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.08 MX$36.14

8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.20 MX$38.12

7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.45 MX$25.24

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.07 MX$18.63

41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 $8.24

$4.27 MX$74.2

92.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 $10.20

$14.32 MX$249

-28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.76 MX$30.62

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.70 MX$64.2

-18.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.35 MX$6.12

465.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.34 MX$23.18

164.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.28 MX$4.83

696.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.66 $28.66

$5.33 MX$92.6

437.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.34 MX$23.27

-27.61%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

29.38%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

-3.53%

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

$172 $172

$39.86 MX$692

330.78%

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

$42.21 $42.21

$26.78 MX$465

57.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 $51.7

$29.36 MX$510

76.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.27 $43.27

$53.4 MX$927

-19.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 $11.17

$6.40 MX$111

74.53%

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

$1,214 $1,214

$440 MX$7,647

175.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

121.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.16 $44.16

$57.6 MX$1,000

-23.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 $40.31

$45.02 MX$781

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 $66.2

$104 MX$1,801

-36.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$108 MX$1,874

46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$1,013 MX$17.6K

57.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 $1,630

$630 MX$10.9K

158.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 $2,376

$2,162 MX$37.5K

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,361 $2,361

$1,222 MX$21.2K

93.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 $2,383

$3,793 MX$65.8K

-37.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 $2,307

$2,332 MX$40.5K

-1.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

11.34

-42.50%

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

Last update for Plainfield, IL: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,594 in Plainfield, IL and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Plainfield, IL vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $285 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

Plainfield, IL vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plainfield, IL and Mexico City differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,656 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,984 in Plainfield, IL and $2,226 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: $1,594 in Plainfield, IL versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,214 in Plainfield, IL versus $440 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 $54.0 versus $88.0 in Plainfield, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,656 in Plainfield, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Plainfield, IL. 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, Plainfield, IL 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 79% less than in Plainfield, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.