Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Troy, NY and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,388 in Troy, NY, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Troy, NY
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Troy, NY Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Troy, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Troy, NY versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Troy, NY $2,388
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Troy, NY versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Troy, NY $3,919
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Troy, NY versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Troy, NY $5,451
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Troy, NY is roughly 52% 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: Troy, NY 77% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 $18.23

$10.75 MX$199

69.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$50.3 MX$929

51.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 $12.04

$11.10 MX$205

8.47%

Cappuccino

$6.58 $6.58

$3.68 MX$68.1

78.80%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.65 MX$30.42

59.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.30 MX$24.08

55.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.32 MX$61.3

109.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.54 MX$102

38.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.77 MX$32.68

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.05 MX$56.4

5.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.01 MX$37.20

115.92%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$2.77 MX$51.1

43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 $11.13

$11.91 MX$220

-6.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$9.33 MX$172

44.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$15.02 MX$278

17.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.08 MX$56.8

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.95 MX$35.97

-28.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.03 MX$37.54

163.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.21 MX$40.92

116.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.02 MX$37.41

49.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.82 MX$33.67

102.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.52 MX$28.07

44.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.28 MX$23.65

54.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.27 $14.27

$5.27 MX$97.4

170.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 $14.11

$16.12 MX$298

-12.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.95 MX$36.05

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.25 MX$78.6

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$0.31 MX$5.82

316.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$19.85 MX$367

225.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.00 MX$36.93

88.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.53 MX$9.86

160.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.54 $30.54

$5.62 MX$104

443.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 MX$28.07

-26.32%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

69.42%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

2.84%

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

$214 $214

$62.5 MX$1,155

242.28%

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

$59.3 $59.3

$28.77 MX$532

106.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$34.45 MX$637

117.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 $44.04

$57.1 MX$1,055

-22.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$6.67 MX$123

127.29%

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

$1,502 $1,502

$431 MX$7,964

248.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K $17.2K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

46.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$70.8 MX$1,308

-22.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 $47.68

$51.8 MX$958

-8.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$109 MX$2,011

-8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$112 MX$2,076

9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$1,051 MX$19.4K

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$665 MX$12.3K

51.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 $3,046

$2,346 MX$43.3K

29.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 $2,439

$1,227 MX$22.7K

98.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,537 $2,537

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-28.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,516 $2,516

$1,977 MX$36.5K

27.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,603 $7,603

$975 MX$18.0K

680.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

11.3

-41.06%

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

Last update for Troy, NY: 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

Troy, NY

$1K 42.2%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 33.9% $341

Groceries & Markets

Troy, NY

$403 16.9%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 19.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Troy, NY

$348 14.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 63.9% $222

Eating Out

Troy, NY

$330 13.8%

Mexico City

$203 13% 38.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Troy, NY

$146 6.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 5.9% $8.6

Getting Around

Troy, NY

$80 3.4%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 68% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Troy, NY

$74 3.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 5.3% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in Troy, NY and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Troy, NY pays 680% 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: $76.0 in Troy, NY vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Troy, NY

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

2 h behind Troy, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,401

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

Troy, NY Mexico City 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Troy, NY
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

Troy, NY vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Troy, NY and Mexico City differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,388 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 680% higher in Troy, NY, 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: $1,293 in Troy, NY versus $1,051 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 226% less than in Troy, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,502 in Troy, NY versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,388 in Troy, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Troy, NY. 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 52% less than in Troy, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.