Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset, NJ and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,865

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,865 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Somerset, NJ $3,865
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Somerset, NJ versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Somerset, NJ $4,297
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,728 in Somerset, NJ versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Somerset, NJ $4,728
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Somerset, NJ is roughly 147% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerset, NJ 186% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$10.75 MX$199

69.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.28 $39.28

$50.3 MX$929

-21.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$11.10 MX$205

-26.49%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$3.68 MX$68.1

32.88%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.65 MX$30.42

18.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.30 MX$24.08

13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.32 MX$61.3

136.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$5.54 MX$102

28.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.77 MX$32.68

-25.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.05 MX$56.4

43.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.01 MX$37.20

204.48%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$2.77 MX$51.1

-27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$11.91 MX$220

11.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$9.33 MX$172

9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$15.02 MX$278

29.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.08 MX$56.8

97.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.95 MX$35.97

78.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.03 MX$37.54

112.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.21 MX$40.92

145.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.02 MX$37.41

50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.82 MX$33.67

67.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.52 MX$28.07

59.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.28 MX$23.65

132.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 $17.39

$5.27 MX$97.4

229.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$16.12 MX$298

-5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.95 MX$36.05

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$4.25 MX$78.6

-17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.31 MX$5.82

529.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.00 MX$36.93

47.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.53 MX$9.86

320.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.34 $41.34

$5.62 MX$104

635.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.52 MX$28.07

-27.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

71.09%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

0.42%

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

$173 $173

$62.5 MX$1,155

176.96%

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

$50.0 $50.0

$28.77 MX$532

73.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$34.45 MX$637

42.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 $40.91

$57.1 MX$1,055

-28.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$20.32 $20.32

$6.67 MX$123

204.65%

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

$2,016 $2,016

$431 MX$7,964

367.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

38.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$70.8 MX$1,308

-29.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$51.8 MX$958

-21.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$109 MX$2,011

-21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$112 MX$2,076

-7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$1,051 MX$19.4K

52.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$665 MX$12.3K

294.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$2,346 MX$43.3K

7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,227 MX$22.7K

72.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-22.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$1,977 MX$36.5K

21.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

11.3

-39.82%

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

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 67.9%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 74.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Somerset, NJ

$441 11.4%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 26.9% $119

Eating Out

Somerset, NJ

$296 7.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 31.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset, NJ

$272 7%

Mexico City

$126 8% 53.8% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 22.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 13.6% $11

Getting Around

Somerset, NJ

$22 * 0.6%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 17.9% $3.9

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 $1,599 in Somerset, NJ and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Somerset, NJ vs $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $323, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

2 h behind Somerset, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,924

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Somerset, NJ Mexico City 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Somerset, NJ
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

Somerset, NJ vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset, NJ and Mexico City differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($3,865 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,798 in Somerset, NJ and $2,351 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: $1,599 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,016 in Somerset, NJ versus $431 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 $50.0 versus $39.00 in Somerset, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Somerset, NJ. 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, Somerset, NJ 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 147% less than in Somerset, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.