Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico: $1,276 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
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Mexico Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Mexico

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Mexico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $1,276 in Mexico.

United States $2,701
Mexico $1,276

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $2,023 in Mexico.

United States $3,980
Mexico $2,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $2,770 in Mexico.

United States $5,258
Mexico $2,770

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $980 to $5,162, compared to $738–$2,646 in Mexico. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 112% more expensive than in Mexico on average.

The United States (100% above) and Mexico (5% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$10.91 MX$202

82.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$44.51 MX$822

81.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.21 MX$170

31.05%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.55 MX$65.6

56.34%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$1.43 MX$26.34

86.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.07 MX$19.83

95.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.73 MX$50.4

118.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$4.40 MX$81.3

76.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.61 MX$29.74

-34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.74 MX$50.7

29.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.72 MX$31.76

169.77%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.57 MX$47.55

62.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$9.34 MX$173

36.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$8.13 MX$150

55.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$11.62 MX$215

48.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.94 MX$54.3

75.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.62 MX$29.95

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.08 MX$38.41

114.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.91 MX$35.21

160.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.07 MX$38.22

37.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.05 MX$37.86

50.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.44 MX$26.69

52.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.10 MX$20.33

106.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$4.64 MX$85.7

128.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$10.76 MX$199

36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.79 MX$33.08

17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.33 MX$61.5

14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.63 MX$11.61

273.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$27.08 MX$500

136.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.77 MX$51.2

28.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.76 MX$51.1

-32.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$11.03 MX$204

173.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.47 MX$27.17

-27.21%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$20.8K MX$384.4K

69.63%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.2K MX$446.9K

7.10%

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

$217 $217

$69.1 MX$1,278

213.25%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$23.20 MX$429

164.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$28.94 MX$535

157.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$36.82 MX$680

22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$18.19 MX$336

26.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$5.29 MX$97.7

179.58%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$264 MX$4,887

459.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$6,272 MX$115.9K

305.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$56.8 MX$1,050

-6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.50 MX$767

3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$99.0 MX$1,828

-4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$89.5 MX$1,654

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$714 MX$13.2K

135.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$469 MX$8,674

179.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$1,323 MX$24.5K

100.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$901 MX$16.7K

142.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$2,553 MX$47.2K

32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,467 MX$27.1K

81.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$768 MX$14.2K

473.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.44

-42.74%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Mexico

$469 36.8% 64.3% $844

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Mexico

$273 21.4% 33.6% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Mexico

$121 9.5% 65.6% $231

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Mexico

$190 14.9% 41.8% $137

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Mexico

$129 10.1% 6.1% $8.4

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Mexico

$46 3.6% 46.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Mexico

$47 3.7% 36.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $617 in Mexico. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $1,051 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $735 in Mexico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 161% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 74% more in the United States.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 517% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇲🇽 Mexico

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

18:01 6:01 PM

2 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

124,777,324

💱 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 →

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Between locations

United States Mexico 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

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

At $1,276 per month in Mexico and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 112% 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 cheaper in Mexico: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $617 in Mexico. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.