Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wheaton, IL and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,771 in Wheaton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wheaton, IL, United States
Mexico City, Mexico
Wheaton, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,771
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,771 in Wheaton, IL versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

  • Wheaton, IL $2,771
  • Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,053 in Wheaton, IL versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

  • Wheaton, IL $4,053
  • Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,335 in Wheaton, IL versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

  • Wheaton, IL $5,335
  • Mexico City $3,537

Living in Wheaton, IL is roughly 66% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wheaton, IL 105% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.87 $15.87
$10.59 MX$197
49.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.9 $69.9
$52.0 MX$967
34.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.93 $11.93
$10.73 MX$200
11.18%
Cappuccino
$5.75 $5.75
$3.80 MX$70.6
51.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.61 MX$30.01
82.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.21 MX$22.55
94.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.66 $6.66
$3.18 MX$59.1
109.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.87 $7.87
$5.44 MX$101
44.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.72 MX$31.96
-44.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.97 MX$55.2
-5.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$1.93 MX$35.84
54.40%
Eggs
$3.67 $3.67
$2.77 MX$51.6
32.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.54 $10.54
$11.67 MX$217
-9.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.81 $10.81
$9.48 MX$176
14.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.74 $19.74
$15.37 MX$286
28.43%
Apples (1kg)
$5.09 $5.09
$3.10 MX$57.8
64.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.96 MX$36.49
-11.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.41 $3.41
$1.98 MX$36.88
72.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 $4.53
$2.34 MX$43.46
93.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.02 MX$37.66
-2.48%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.82 MX$33.95
61.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.54 MX$28.74
27.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$1.31 MX$24.42
74.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.71 $8.71
$5.35 MX$99.6
62.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.11 $12.11
$16.19 MX$301
-25.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.96 MX$36.46
14.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$4.35 MX$81.0
-37.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.97 $4.97
$0.30 MX$5.67
1556.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$100 $100
$19.49 MX$363
413.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.94 $3.94
$1.92 MX$35.68
105.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.79 $0.79
$0.47 MX$8.80
68.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.34 $44.34
$5.41 MX$101
719.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.48 MX$27.61
-25.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.7K $22.7K
$21.4K MX$397.7K
5.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$23.8K MX$442.1K
6.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 $176
$62.0 MX$1,154
183.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$46.90 $46.90
$28.47 MX$530
64.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.4 $71.4
$34.11 MX$635
109.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.68 $35.68
$58.4 MX$1,087
-38.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$24.50 MX$456
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.94 $11.94
$6.59 MX$123
81.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,597 $1,597
$434 MX$8,081
267.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.7K $21.7K
$14.0K MX$261.2K
54.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 $57.8
$68.4 MX$1,272
-15.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.83 $34.83
$54.8 MX$1,020
-36.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.6 $89.6
$111 MX$2,063
-19.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$116 MX$2,158
-12.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,989 $1,989
$1,179 MX$21.9K
68.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,491 $1,491
$771 MX$14.3K
93.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,806 $2,806
$2,570 MX$47.8K
9.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,523 $2,523
$1,420 MX$26.4K
77.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,586 MX$66.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,064 MX$38.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wheaton, IL
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,433 $5,433
$1,003 MX$18.7K
441.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.81
11.35
-40.00%

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

Last update for Wheaton, IL: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wheaton, IL
$1.5K
Mexico City
$771 48.3% $720
Groceries & Markets
Wheaton, IL
$369
Mexico City
$324 12.3% $46
Eating Out
Wheaton, IL
$302
Mexico City
$201 33.6% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wheaton, IL
$294
Mexico City
$125 57.7% $170
Getting Around
Wheaton, IL
$128
Mexico City
$25 80.5% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Wheaton, IL
$128
Mexico City
$158 23.3% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Wheaton, IL
$60
Mexico City
$72 20.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,989 in Wheaton, IL and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wheaton, IL pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Wheaton, IL vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $324 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Wheaton, IL
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
02:51 2:51 AM
02:51 2:51 AM
Same time as Wheaton, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
54,611
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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wheaton, IL Mexico City 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Wheaton, IL
  • 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
Wheaton, IL vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Wheaton, IL and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,771 in Wheaton, IL and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Wheaton, IL or Mexico City?
Average pay in Wheaton, IL is about 5.4 times higher, 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 Wheaton, IL and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,989 in Wheaton, IL versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Wheaton, IL and in Mexico City?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 81% less than in Wheaton, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Wheaton, IL and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $1,597 in Wheaton, IL versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How does quality of life compare between Wheaton, IL 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: Wheaton, IL or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Wheaton, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Wheaton, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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