Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waikiki, HI and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $3,148 in Waikiki, HI, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Waikiki, HI
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Waikiki, HI Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Waikiki, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,148

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,148 in Waikiki, HI versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Waikiki, HI $3,148
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,580 in Waikiki, HI versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Waikiki, HI $4,580
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,011 in Waikiki, HI versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Waikiki, HI $6,011
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Waikiki, HI is roughly 88% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waikiki, HI 133% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.12 $25.12

$10.59 MX$199

137.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 $140

$52.0 MX$976

169.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.23 $15.23

$10.73 MX$201

41.94%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$3.80 MX$71.3

56.32%

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

$5.06 $5.06

$1.61 MX$30.28

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.21 MX$22.76

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.44 $10.44

$3.18 MX$59.7

228.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.37 $11.37

$5.44 MX$102

109.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.72 MX$32.26

-40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.97 MX$55.7

18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$1.93 MX$36.17

425.39%

Eggs

$8.84 $8.84

$2.77 MX$52.1

219.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$11.67 MX$219

7.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.34 $20.34

$9.48 MX$178

114.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.60 $21.60

$15.37 MX$289

40.53%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$3.10 MX$58.3

166.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.96 MX$36.82

-14.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$1.98 MX$37.22

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$2.34 MX$43.86

298.29%

Potato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.02 MX$38.00

140.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.82 MX$34.26

168.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.54 MX$29.00

244.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.31 MX$24.64

132.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.88 $12.88

$5.35 MX$100

140.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$16.19 MX$304

12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.96 MX$36.79

37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.35 MX$81.7

30.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.30 MX$5.72

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$19.49 MX$366

207.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.92 MX$36.01

86.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.47 MX$8.88

461.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.63 $45.63

$5.41 MX$102

743.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.48 MX$27.86

1.35%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.4K MX$401.4K

68.80%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.8K MX$446.1K

12.01%

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

$250 $250

$62.0 MX$1,164

303.69%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$28.47 MX$535

129.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$34.11 MX$641

89.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 $41.02

$58.4 MX$1,097

-29.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 $19.78

$6.59 MX$124

200.15%

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

$2,118 $2,118

$434 MX$8,155

387.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K $28.2K

$14.0K MX$263.6K

101.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 $63.7

$68.4 MX$1,284

-6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 $47.25

$54.8 MX$1,029

-13.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$111 MX$2,082

-7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$116 MX$2,178

14.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$1,179 MX$22.1K

36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 $1,424

$771 MX$14.5K

84.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$2,570 MX$48.3K

1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 $1,965

$1,420 MX$26.7K

38.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,676 $2,676

$3,586 MX$67.3K

-25.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$2,064 MX$38.8K

17.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.35

-40.18%

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

Last update for Waikiki, HI: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waikiki, HI

$1.4K 45.2%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 45.9% $653

Groceries & Markets

Waikiki, HI

$594 18.9%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 45.5% $271

Eating Out

Waikiki, HI

$428 13.6%

Mexico City

$201 12% 53.1% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waikiki, HI

$380 12.1%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 67.2% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Waikiki, HI

$156 5%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 1% $1.5

Getting Around

Waikiki, HI

$86 2.7%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 70.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Waikiki, HI

$81 2.6%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 11.2% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Waikiki, HI and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $140 in Waikiki, HI vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $594 vs $324 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waikiki, HI

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

4 h ahead of Waikiki, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,862

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Waikiki, HI Mexico City 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Waikiki, HI
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

Waikiki, HI vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,148 in Waikiki, HI and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,722 in Waikiki, HI and $2,510 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Waikiki, HI versus $1,179 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 67% less than in Waikiki, HI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,118 in Waikiki, HI versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,148 in Waikiki, HI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Waikiki, HI. 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 47% less than in Waikiki, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.