Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Lafayette, IN and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in West Lafayette, IN
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West Lafayette, IN Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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West Lafayette, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,355

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

West Lafayette, IN $2,355
Mexico City $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,398 in West Lafayette, IN versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

West Lafayette, IN $3,398
Mexico City $2,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,442 in West Lafayette, IN versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

West Lafayette, IN $4,442
Mexico City $3,319

Living in West Lafayette, IN is roughly 51% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Lafayette, IN 76% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 $12.05

$11.12 MX$205

8.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 $65.2

$48.99 MX$902

33.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 $6.61

$11.23 MX$207

-41.14%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$3.76 MX$69.2

21.28%

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

$1.85 $1.85

$1.65 MX$30.43

12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.28 MX$23.56

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.26 MX$60.0

61.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$5.66 MX$104

-37.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 $0.63

$1.81 MX$33.33

-65.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.94 MX$54.2

12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.05 MX$37.74

-5.85%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.93 MX$53.9

28.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.69 $21.69

$11.95 MX$220

81.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$9.51 MX$175

-38.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 $27.50

$14.84 MX$273

85.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.14 MX$57.9

42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.01 MX$37.11

-36.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.08 MX$38.23

56.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.22 MX$40.86

121.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.06 MX$37.94

57.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.88 MX$34.57

72.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.48 MX$27.27

33.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.35 MX$24.78

70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$5.41 MX$99.6

122.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 $11.09

$16.86 MX$311

-34.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 MX$36.55

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.32 MX$79.6

18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.34 MX$6.35

188.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.45 $28.45

$20.23 MX$373

40.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.10 MX$38.59

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.53 MX$9.77

81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.84 $17.84

$5.41 MX$99.6

229.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.52 MX$28.00

-39.47%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.7K MX$400.3K

68.33%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$24.8K MX$457.0K

8.82%

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

$164 $164

$63.0 MX$1,160

159.84%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$28.88 MX$532

83.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$33.93 MX$625

90.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.75 $29.75

$55.8 MX$1,028

-46.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 $12.40

$24.90 MX$459

-50.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 $13.70

$6.77 MX$125

102.36%

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

$998 $998

$428 MX$7,879

133.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$70.0 MX$1,290

6.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 $42.64

$53.7 MX$990

-20.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 $66.6

$110 MX$2,022

-39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 $89.8

$115 MX$2,122

-22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$1,062 MX$19.6K

29.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$671 MX$12.4K

88.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$2,379 MX$43.8K

-1.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$1,260 MX$23.2K

53.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,746 $1,746

$3,716 MX$68.4K

-53.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,806 $1,806

$1,976 MX$36.4K

-8.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,733 $8,733

$997 MX$18.4K

775.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.3

-42.57%

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

Last update for West Lafayette, IN: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

West Lafayette, IN

$1.3K 53%

Mexico City

$671 42.4% 47% $596

Groceries & Markets

West Lafayette, IN

$400 16.7%

Mexico City

$327 20.7% 18.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Lafayette, IN

$281 11.8%

Mexico City

$126 8% 55.3% $156

Eating Out

West Lafayette, IN

$218 9.1%

Mexico City

$207 13.1% 5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

West Lafayette, IN

$123 5.2%

Mexico City

$157 9.9% 27.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

West Lafayette, IN

$57 2.4%

Mexico City

$69 4.4% 21.3% $12

Getting Around

West Lafayette, IN

$43 1.8%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 38.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,377 in West Lafayette, IN and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Lafayette, IN pays 776% 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: $65.0 in West Lafayette, IN vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $327 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Lafayette, IN

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

12:18 12:18 PM

2 h behind West Lafayette, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,997

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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West Lafayette, IN Mexico City 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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West Lafayette, IN
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

West Lafayette, IN vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Lafayette, IN and Mexico City differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,355 vs $1,561 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 776% higher in West Lafayette, IN, 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: $1,377 in West Lafayette, IN versus $1,062 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 41% less than in West Lafayette, IN. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $998 in West Lafayette, IN versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,355 in West Lafayette, IN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in West Lafayette, IN. 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.

Safety-wise, West Lafayette, IN and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in West Lafayette, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.