Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockton, CA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,772 in Stockton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Stockton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,772

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,772 in Stockton, CA versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Stockton, CA $2,772
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,241 in Stockton, CA versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Stockton, CA $4,241
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,710 in Stockton, CA versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Stockton, CA $5,710
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Stockton, CA is roughly 79% 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: Stockton, CA 105% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.05 $22.05

$11.02 MX$204

100.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$48.68 MX$900

53.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.90 MX$201

11.74%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.68 MX$68.1

53.80%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$1.63 MX$30.18

95.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.25 MX$23.07

84.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.25 MX$60.1

139.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 $6.71

$5.53 MX$102

21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.70 MX$31.50

-15.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.02 MX$55.8

49.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.92 MX$35.53

119.27%

Eggs

$5.94 $5.94

$2.73 MX$50.5

117.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$11.77 MX$218

-23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$9.53 MX$176

46.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 $22.18

$14.41 MX$266

53.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.02 MX$55.8

78.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.89 MX$35.01

-31.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.99 MX$36.70

87.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.19 MX$40.38

154.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.92 MX$35.43

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.87 MX$34.49

59.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.44 MX$26.62

68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.27 MX$23.39

103.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 $11.58

$5.22 MX$96.4

121.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$16.17 MX$299

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.90 MX$35.03

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$4.22 MX$78.0

-70.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.34 MX$6.30

617.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.03 $40.03

$19.65 MX$363

103.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.00 MX$36.90

72.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.52 MX$9.67

467.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$5.34 MX$98.7

458.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.52 MX$28.13

-0.66%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

23.28%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

7.74%

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

$278 $278

$61.1 MX$1,129

354.54%

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

$47.45 $47.45

$28.58 MX$528

66.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.3 $82.3

$34.47 MX$637

138.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 $36.77

$56.4 MX$1,042

-34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 $13.82

$6.66 MX$123

107.51%

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

$250 $250

$427 MX$7,891

-41.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

29.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 $60.6

$67.8 MX$1,253

-10.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.70 $28.70

$52.0 MX$960

-44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$106 MX$1,959

-25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 $74.2

$113 MX$2,080

-34.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$1,025 MX$18.9K

54.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$654 MX$12.1K

103.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,931 $2,931

$2,308 MX$42.7K

26.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,645 $2,645

$1,242 MX$22.9K

112.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,652 $3,652

$3,613 MX$66.8K

1.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,202 $3,202

$1,936 MX$35.8K

65.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,983 $3,983

$964 MX$17.8K

313.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.3

-42.57%

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

Last update for Stockton, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockton, CA

$1.3K 48%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 50.9% $677

Groceries & Markets

Stockton, CA

$436 15.8%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 27.1% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockton, CA

$407 14.7%

Mexico City

$124 8% 69.5% $283

Eating Out

Stockton, CA

$355 12.8%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 42.6% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Stockton, CA

$109 3.9%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 39.6% $43

Getting Around

Stockton, CA

$68 2.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 62.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Stockton, CA

$64 2.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 8.2% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in Stockton, CA and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockton, CA pays 313% 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: $75.0 in Stockton, CA vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stockton, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

1 h ahead of Stockton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

305,658

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 →

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Stockton, CA Mexico City 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stockton, CA
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

Stockton, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockton, CA and Mexico City differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,772 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 313% higher in Stockton, CA, 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: $1,580 in Stockton, CA versus $1,025 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 104% less than in Stockton, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $250 in Stockton, CA versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,772 in Stockton, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Stockton, CA. 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 79% less than in Stockton, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.