Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $4,027 in Somerville, MA, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,027

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,027 in Somerville, MA versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Somerville, MA $4,027
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,485 in Somerville, MA versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Somerville, MA $5,485
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,943 in Somerville, MA versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Somerville, MA $6,943
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Somerville, MA is roughly 150% 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: Somerville, MA 196% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$10.62 MX$199

136.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$48.35 MX$906

95.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.42 $13.42

$10.35 MX$194

29.66%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.69 MX$69.2

45.26%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.67 MX$31.23

78.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.27 MX$23.71

74.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.19 MX$59.8

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$5.31 MX$99.5

64.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.72 MX$32.32

-38.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.04 MX$57.0

33.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.94 MX$36.38

184.02%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$2.89 MX$54.1

64.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.55 $15.55

$10.97 MX$206

41.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.33 $14.33

$9.25 MX$173

54.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$15.13 MX$283

18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.05 MX$57.1

124.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.94 MX$36.38

7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$2.03 MX$37.95

173.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$2.31 MX$43.38

191.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.04 MX$38.14

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.80 MX$33.73

18.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.48 MX$27.72

97.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.27 MX$23.75

135.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 $13.40

$5.30 MX$99.4

152.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$16.10 MX$302

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.98 MX$37.16

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.25 MX$79.7

-3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.31 MX$5.72

693.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 $90.1

$19.73 MX$370

356.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.84 MX$34.44

43.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.53 MX$10.00

228.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.45 $27.45

$5.30 MX$99.2

417.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.51 MX$28.31

-31.13%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$21.8K MX$407.7K

36.04%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.0K MX$449.5K

11.24%

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

$239 $239

$63.0 MX$1,180

279.91%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$27.39 MX$513

177.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$35.67 MX$668

113.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$118 $118

$58.9 MX$1,105

100.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 $15.71

$6.40 MX$120

145.47%

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

$1,841 $1,841

$432 MX$8,088

326.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$11.4K MX$214.1K

167.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.22 $48.22

$68.2 MX$1,278

-29.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$53.1 MX$996

-27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$108 MX$2,020

-4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$117 MX$2,198

29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,198 $3,198

$1,113 MX$20.9K

187.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$710 MX$13.3K

232.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,247 $6,247

$2,588 MX$48.5K

141.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 $3,271

$1,406 MX$26.3K

132.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,711 $9,711

$3,631 MX$68.0K

167.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,624 $6,624

$2,135 MX$40.0K

210.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,470 $5,470

$946 MX$17.7K

478.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.35

-41.50%

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

Last update for Somerville, MA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerville, MA

$2.4K 58.7%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 69.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Somerville, MA

$475 11.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 32.8% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerville, MA

$391 9.7%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 67.8% $265

Eating Out

Somerville, MA

$384 9.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 48.3% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Somerville, MA

$153 3.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 1.6% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Somerville, MA

$149 3.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 52% $78

Getting Around

Somerville, MA

$111 2.8%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 77.1% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,198 in Somerville, MA and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerville, MA pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $95 in Somerville, MA vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerville, MA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

1 h behind Somerville, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,754

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Somerville, MA Mexico City 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerville, MA
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

Somerville, MA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,027 in Somerville, MA and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 60% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Somerville, MA is about 5.8 times higher, 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: $3,198 in Somerville, MA versus $1,113 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 78% less than in Somerville, MA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,841 in Somerville, MA versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $4,027 in Somerville, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Somerville, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Somerville, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Somerville, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.