Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
Learn more

Rock Island, IL Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,664 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Rock Island, IL $2,664
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,843 in Rock Island, IL versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Rock Island, IL $3,843
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,023 in Rock Island, IL versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Rock Island, IL $5,023
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Rock Island, IL is roughly 72% 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: Rock Island, IL 97% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$11.02 MX$204

82.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$48.68 MX$900

37.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 $12.84

$10.90 MX$201

17.80%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.68 MX$68.1

60.33%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.63 MX$30.18

92.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.25 MX$23.07

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$3.25 MX$60.1

117.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.53 MX$102

44.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.70 MX$31.50

-44.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.02 MX$55.8

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.92 MX$35.53

120.31%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.73 MX$50.5

35.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$11.77 MX$218

28.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$9.53 MX$176

37.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$14.41 MX$266

39.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.02 MX$55.8

56.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.89 MX$35.01

-13.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.99 MX$36.70

158.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.19 MX$40.38

118.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.92 MX$35.43

45.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.87 MX$34.49

67.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.44 MX$26.62

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.27 MX$23.39

90.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$5.22 MX$96.4

105.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 $15.51

$16.17 MX$299

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.90 MX$35.03

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.22 MX$78.0

3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.34 MX$6.30

435.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.00 MX$36.90

98.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.52 MX$9.67

282.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.24 $44.24

$5.34 MX$98.7

728.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.52 MX$28.13

-34.21%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

41.24%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

4.58%

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

$267 $267

$61.1 MX$1,129

337.09%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$28.58 MX$528

82.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.6 $80.6

$34.47 MX$637

133.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.16 $45.16

$56.4 MX$1,042

-19.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$6.66 MX$123

127.03%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$427 MX$7,891

302.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

104.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 $64.5

$67.8 MX$1,253

-4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.0 MX$960

-2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$106 MX$1,959

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$113 MX$2,080

6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 $1,812

$1,025 MX$18.9K

76.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$654 MX$12.1K

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,308 MX$42.7K

13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,242 MX$22.9K

62.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,912 $2,912

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-19.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$1,936 MX$35.8K

18.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.3

-40.80%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: 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

Rock Island, IL

$1.2K 46.5%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 47.2% $584

Groceries & Markets

Rock Island, IL

$431 16.2%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 26.2% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Island, IL

$400 15%

Mexico City

$124 8% 69% $276

Eating Out

Rock Island, IL

$343 12.9%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 40.6% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.8%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 1.3% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Island, IL

$75 2.8%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 7.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Rock Island, IL

$21 * 0.8%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 21% $4.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,812 in Rock Island, IL and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rock Island, IL vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

1 h behind Rock Island, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,108

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rock Island, IL Mexico City 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rock Island, IL
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

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

Rock Island, IL and Mexico City differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,664 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Rock Island, IL and $2,322 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: $1,812 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,719 in Rock Island, IL versus $427 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 $49.00 versus $67.0 in Rock Island, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Rock Island, 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.