Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux City, IA and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux City, IA and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,127 in Sioux City, IA versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,194 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,261 in Sioux City, IA versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Sioux City, IA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sioux City, IA 59% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.96 $15.96

$13.07 MX$228

22.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 $54.2

$53.8 MX$936

0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 $10.54

$9.68 MX$169

8.88%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$3.74 MX$65.1

61.23%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.62 MX$28.13

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.16 MX$20.23

48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.23 MX$56.2

53.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.74 MX$82.5

51.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.65 MX$28.68

-43.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.75 MX$47.95

-8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.87 MX$32.63

19.25%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$2.50 MX$43.54

42.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 $8.01

$10.20 MX$178

-21.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 $7.60

$8.25 MX$144

-7.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 $16.69

$11.82 MX$206

41.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.01 MX$52.4

46.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.81 MX$31.54

-10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.00 MX$34.81

81.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.00 MX$34.74

73.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.08 MX$36.30

-8.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.27 MX$39.56

36.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.46 MX$25.36

57.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.08 MX$18.74

100.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.73 $8.73

$4.35 MX$75.7

100.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$16.99 MX$296

-13.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.73 MX$30.18

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.58 MX$62.3

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.39 MX$6.74

369.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 $48.10

$18.69 MX$325

157.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.33 MX$23.08

48.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.28 MX$4.87

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.75 $19.75

$5.25 MX$91.5

276.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.34 MX$23.27

-43.28%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

31.56%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

1.87%

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

$146 $146

$40.69 MX$709

258.12%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$26.87 MX$468

93.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$30.51 MX$531

143.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 $98.8

$52.8 MX$919

87.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$14.93 $14.93

$6.51 MX$113

129.34%

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

$1,081 $1,081

$428 MX$7,454

152.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

13.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.02 $43.02

$57.3 MX$997

-24.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.68 $21.68

$45.50 MX$792

-52.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 $74.1

$104 MX$1,812

-28.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 $89.3

$108 MX$1,878

-17.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 $764

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-23.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 $955

$623 MX$10.8K

53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 $1,437

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-31.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 $1,708

$1,218 MX$21.2K

40.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,548 $1,548

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-60.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,574 $1,574

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-22.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,577 $3,577

$1,038 MX$18.1K

244.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

11.34

-41.71%

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

Last update for Sioux City, IA: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Sioux City, IA and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux City, IA pays 245% 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: $54.0 in Sioux City, IA vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $292, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sioux City, IA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sioux City, IA and Mexico City differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,127 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 245% higher in Sioux City, IA, 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: $764 in Sioux City, IA versus $1,003 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 157% less than in Sioux City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,081 in Sioux City, IA versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,127 in Sioux City, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Sioux City, IA. 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 46% less than in Sioux City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.