Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Mexico Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,642 in United States versus $1,121 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,781 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $2,441 in Mexico.

Living in United States is roughly 136% more expensive than in Mexico on average.

United States (98% above) and Mexico (16% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United States: monthly costs span $1,335 to $5,182, compared to $687–$2,360 in Mexico. City choice carries more weight in United States.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$10.51 MX$184

86.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$41.82 MX$731

80.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$7.83 MX$137

47.77%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$3.37 MX$59.0

54.90%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.34 MX$23.38

85.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.98 MX$17.20

110.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.33 MX$40.79

153.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.13 MX$72.2

72.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.51 MX$26.35

-27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.57 MX$45.01

38.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.78 MX$31.13

166.29%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$2.37 MX$41.39

83.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$8.63 MX$151

46.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$7.53 MX$132

63.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$10.73 MX$188

54.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$2.75 MX$48.14

87.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.46 MX$25.51

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.86 MX$32.52

139.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.80 MX$31.45

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.93 MX$33.67

51.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.05 MX$35.93

50.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.27 MX$22.14

74.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.04 MX$18.22

116.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$4.36 MX$76.2

127.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$11.48 MX$201

33.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.65 MX$28.81

15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.01 MX$52.6

18.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.64 MX$11.25

284.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$26.22 MX$458

146.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.69 MX$47.01

40.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.99 MX$34.83

-14.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$10.67 MX$186

181.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.27 MX$22.29

-24.41%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$20.4K MX$355.9K

46.72%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.3K MX$408.2K

11.98%

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

$210 $210

$63.3 MX$1,107

231.79%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$23.40 MX$409

140.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$28.07 MX$491

159.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$35.26 MX$616

28.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$18.50 MX$324

16.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$4.86 MX$85.0

188.89%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$247 MX$4,316

458.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$5,786 MX$101.2K

286.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$51.6 MX$902

2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$41.40 MX$724

2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$94.4 MX$1,650

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$88.3 MX$1,544

28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$647 MX$11.3K

172.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$456 MX$7,967

220.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$1,249 MX$21.8K

128.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$853 MX$14.9K

177.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$2,595 MX$45.4K

29.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$1,536 MX$26.9K

73.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$806 MX$14.1K

443.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $530 in Mexico. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $1,003 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $761 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 208% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 87% more in United States.

Public transport is 127% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 491% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

United States vs Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,524 per month in Mexico and $3,259 in United States, there's a 114% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Mexico: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Mexico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Mexico wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.