Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plano, TX and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,597 in Plano, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Plano, TX versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Plano, TX $2,597
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,016 in Plano, TX versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Plano, TX $4,016
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,435 in Plano, TX versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Plano, TX $5,435
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Plano, TX is roughly 68% 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: Plano, TX 92% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$11.02 MX$204

81.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$48.68 MX$900

58.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$10.90 MX$201

-6.51%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$3.68 MX$68.1

49.73%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.63 MX$30.18

63.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.25 MX$23.07

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.25 MX$60.1

109.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$5.53 MX$102

38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.70 MX$31.50

-44.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.02 MX$55.8

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.92 MX$35.53

151.56%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$2.73 MX$50.5

76.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$11.77 MX$218

13.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$9.53 MX$176

18.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 $18.73

$14.41 MX$266

29.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.02 MX$55.8

51.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.89 MX$35.01

-17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.99 MX$36.70

40.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.19 MX$40.38

38.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.92 MX$35.43

20.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.87 MX$34.49

34.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.44 MX$26.62

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.27 MX$23.39

122.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$5.22 MX$96.4

95.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$16.17 MX$299

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.90 MX$35.03

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.22 MX$78.0

-23.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 $4.61

$0.34 MX$6.30

1255.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$19.65 MX$363

441.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.00 MX$36.90

45.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.52 MX$9.67

232.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.92 $14.92

$5.34 MX$98.7

179.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.52 MX$28.13

-39.47%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

22.87%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

5.52%

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

$194 $194

$61.1 MX$1,129

217.19%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$28.58 MX$528

65.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$34.47 MX$637

58.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.8 $91.8

$56.4 MX$1,042

62.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.93 $3.93

$24.88 MX$460

-84.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 $15.01

$6.66 MX$123

125.38%

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

$1,312 $1,312

$427 MX$7,891

207.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

108.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$67.8 MX$1,253

-13.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 $37.94

$52.0 MX$960

-26.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$106 MX$1,959

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 $68.3

$113 MX$2,080

-39.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$1,025 MX$18.9K

51.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$654 MX$12.1K

85.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$2,308 MX$42.7K

19.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,242 MX$22.9K

91.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 $2,423

$1,936 MX$35.8K

25.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,756 $5,756

$964 MX$17.8K

497.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.3

-42.39%

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

Last update for Plano, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plano, TX

$1.2K 46.7%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 46% $558

Groceries & Markets

Plano, TX

$392 15.1%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 18.8% $74

Eating Out

Plano, TX

$326 12.5%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 37.4% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plano, TX

$296 11.4%

Mexico City

$124 8% 58% $171

Getting Around

Plano, TX

$136 5.3%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 81.2% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Plano, TX

$122 4.7%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 42.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Plano, TX

$113 4.4%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 34.3% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Plano, TX and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plano, TX pays 497% 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: $77.0 in Plano, TX vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

20:14 8:14 PM

1 h behind Plano, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,253

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Plano, TX Mexico City 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Plano, TX
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

Plano, TX vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plano, TX and Mexico City differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,597 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 497% higher in Plano, TX, 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: $1,550 in Plano, TX 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 441% less than in Plano, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,312 in Plano, TX 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 $2,597 in Plano, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Plano, TX. 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 68% less than in Plano, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.