Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, TN and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Union City, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$1,653
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

  • Union City, TN $1,653
  • Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Union City, TN versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

  • Union City, TN $2,486
  • Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,318 in Union City, TN versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

  • Union City, TN $3,318
  • Mexico City $3,323

Living in Union City, TN is roughly 7% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Union City, TN 22% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.87 $9.87
$11.02 MX$204
-10.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 $50.3
$48.68 MX$900
3.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.95 $6.95
$10.90 MX$201
-36.24%
Cappuccino
$3.11 $3.11
$3.68 MX$68.1
-15.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.63 MX$30.18
34.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.25 MX$23.07
24.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.25 MX$60.1
20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 $3.89
$5.53 MX$102
-29.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.70 MX$31.50
-45.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 $2.38
$3.02 MX$55.8
-21.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.07 $2.07
$1.92 MX$35.53
7.81%
Eggs
$2.69 $2.69
$2.73 MX$50.5
-1.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.88 $7.88
$11.77 MX$218
-33.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.85 $8.85
$9.53 MX$176
-7.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.69 $18.69
$14.41 MX$266
29.70%
Apples (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$3.02 MX$55.8
47.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.89 MX$35.01
-33.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 $2.70
$1.99 MX$36.70
35.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.43 $4.43
$2.19 MX$40.38
102.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.92 MX$35.43
14.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.87 MX$34.49
-2.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.44 MX$26.62
22.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.27 MX$23.39
8.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.83 $6.83
$5.22 MX$96.4
30.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.97 $13.97
$16.17 MX$299
-13.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.90 MX$35.03
7.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 $1.84
$4.22 MX$78.0
-56.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.85 $1.85
$0.34 MX$6.30
444.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$19.65 MX$363
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.85 $4.85
$2.00 MX$36.90
142.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$0.52 MX$9.67
192.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.16 $21.16
$5.34 MX$98.7
296.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.52 MX$28.13
-45.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K $37.1K
$22.1K MX$408.0K
67.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$24.5K MX$452.9K
11.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$228 $228
$61.1 MX$1,129
273.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.13 $33.13
$28.58 MX$528
15.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.2 $75.2
$34.47 MX$637
118.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.53 $41.53
$56.4 MX$1,042
-26.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.06 $7.06
$24.88 MX$460
-71.62%
Cinema Ticket
$14.82 $14.82
$6.66 MX$123
122.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,465 $1,465
$427 MX$7,891
243.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.8K $30.8K
$11.6K MX$215.0K
164.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.4 $55.4
$67.8 MX$1,253
-18.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.06 $43.06
$52.0 MX$960
-17.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 $90.9
$106 MX$1,959
-14.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 $136
$113 MX$2,080
21.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$724 $724
$1,025 MX$18.9K
-29.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$585 $585
$654 MX$12.1K
-10.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,155 $1,155
$2,308 MX$42.7K
-49.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,099 $1,099
$1,242 MX$22.9K
-11.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,327 $2,327
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-35.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,591 $2,591
$1,936 MX$35.8K
33.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Union City, TN
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,019 $2,019
$964 MX$17.8K
109.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
11.3
-42.04%

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

Last update for Union City, TN: 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
Union City, TN
$585
Mexico City
$654 11.9% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Union City, TN
$336
Mexico City
$124 63.1% $212
Groceries & Markets
Union City, TN
$315
Mexico City
$318 1.1% $3.6
Eating Out
Union City, TN
$179
Mexico City
$204 13.6% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Union City, TN
$147
Mexico City
$152 3.9% $5.7
Sport & Entertainment
Union City, TN
$71
Mexico City
$70 2.1% $1.5
Getting Around
Union City, TN
$20 *
Mexico City
$26 29.1% $5.8

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 $724 in Union City, TN and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, TN pays 109% 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: $50.0 in Union City, TN vs $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 vs $318, with Union City, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Union City, TN
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
01:02 1:02 AM
00:02 12:02 AM
1 h behind Union City, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,930
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Union City, TN Mexico City 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Union City, TN
  • 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
Union City, TN vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Union City, TN and in Mexico City?
Union City, TN and Mexico City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,653 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Union City, TN or Mexico City?
Average pay runs 109% higher in Union City, TN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Union City, TN and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $724 in Union City, TN versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Union City, TN and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $1,465 in Union City, TN versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $50.0 in Union City, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Union City, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Union City, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Union City, TN and Mexico City?
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.
Where should expats move: Union City, TN or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Union City, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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