Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Renton, WA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,050 in Renton, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Renton, WA
Learn more

Renton, WA Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Renton, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,050

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,050 in Renton, WA versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Renton, WA $3,050
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,076 in Renton, WA versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Renton, WA $4,076
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,101 in Renton, WA versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Renton, WA $5,101
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Renton, WA is roughly 95% 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: Renton, WA 126% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$10.75 MX$199

84.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 $93.3

$50.3 MX$929

85.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.10 MX$205

10.09%

Cappuccino

$4.72 $4.72

$3.68 MX$68.1

28.26%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.65 MX$30.42

48.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.30 MX$24.08

64.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.32 MX$61.3

52.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$5.54 MX$102

25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.77 MX$32.68

-34.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.05 MX$56.4

34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.01 MX$37.20

78.11%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$2.77 MX$51.1

79.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$11.91 MX$220

9.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$9.33 MX$172

-27.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$15.02 MX$278

6.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.08 MX$56.8

10.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.95 MX$35.97

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.03 MX$37.54

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.21 MX$40.92

55.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.02 MX$37.41

15.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.82 MX$33.67

25.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.52 MX$28.07

16.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.28 MX$23.65

68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 $13.33

$5.27 MX$97.4

152.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$16.12 MX$298

-39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.95 MX$36.05

-12.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.25 MX$78.6

-31.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 $3.51

$0.31 MX$5.82

1032.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 $75.9

$19.85 MX$367

282.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.00 MX$36.93

77.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.53 MX$9.86

24.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.83 $14.83

$5.62 MX$104

163.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.52 MX$28.07

-17.76%

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

$18.7K $18.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-11.09%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-9.54%

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

$198 $198

$62.5 MX$1,155

216.59%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$28.77 MX$532

107.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$34.45 MX$637

80.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 $38.64

$57.1 MX$1,055

-32.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.38 $39.38

$24.81 MX$458

58.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$6.67 MX$123

125.34%

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

$1,629 $1,629

$431 MX$7,964

278.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K $16.4K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

39.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$70.8 MX$1,308

-25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.41 $30.41

$51.8 MX$958

-41.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 $64.5

$109 MX$2,011

-40.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$112 MX$2,076

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 $1,776

$1,051 MX$19.4K

68.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 $1,814

$665 MX$12.3K

172.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,952 $2,952

$2,346 MX$43.3K

25.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 $2,242

$1,227 MX$22.7K

82.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,800 $4,800

$3,554 MX$65.7K

35.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 $3,808

$1,977 MX$36.5K

92.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,965 $4,965

$975 MX$18.0K

409.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.3

-41.68%

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

Last update for Renton, WA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Renton, WA

$1.8K 59.5%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 63.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Renton, WA

$340 11.1%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Renton, WA

$320 10.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 60.7% $194

Eating Out

Renton, WA

$309 10.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 34.4% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Renton, WA

$102 3.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 51.9% $53

Getting Around

Renton, WA

$97 3.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 73.4% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Renton, WA

$69 2.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 2.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,776 in Renton, WA and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Renton, WA pays 409% 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: $93.0 in Renton, WA vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Renton, WA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

1 h ahead of Renton, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,785

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Renton, WA Mexico City 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Renton, WA
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

Renton, WA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Renton, WA and Mexico City differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($3,050 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 409% higher in Renton, WA, 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: $1,776 in Renton, WA versus $1,051 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 282% less than in Renton, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,629 in Renton, WA versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,050 in Renton, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Renton, WA. 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 95% less than in Renton, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.