Cost of Living · MX vs US
🇲🇽 Mexico City vs 🇺🇸 New York: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,253 in Mexico vs $2,410 in United States — 92% more expensive.
- Essentials, Mexico
- $1,253/mo
- Essentials, United States
- $2,410/mo
- Difference
- +92%
- 1-bed city rent, United States
- $1,750/mo
Biggest differences
Smallest premium in United States
- Petrol/gasoline, 1L: +23%
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: +24%
- Running shoes (brand): +24%
Pricier in United States
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +110%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +110%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +110%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Mexico | United States | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $832 | $1,750 | +110% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $666 | $1,400 | +110% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,522 | $3,200 | +110% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.04 | $18.00 | +79% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $41.82 | $75.00 | +79% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $6.47 | $11.00 | +70% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $0.72 | $1.10 | +53% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.09 | $3.20 | +53% |
| Eggs, dozen | $2.22 | $3.40 | +53% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $6.54 | $10.00 | +53% |
| White rice, 1kg | $2.62 | $4.00 | +53% |
| Apples, 1kg | $3.14 | $4.80 | +53% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $7.85 | $12.00 | +53% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.31 | $2.00 | +53% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $3.35 | $6.00 | +79% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.47 | $8.00 | +24% |
| Cappuccino | $2.79 | $5.00 | +79% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.50 | $2.30 | +53% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $38.22 | $65.00 | +70% |
| Public transport, one-way | $1.62 | $2.75 | +70% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.23 | $4.00 | +79% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.00 | $1.80 | +80% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.77 | $0.95 | +23% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $118 | $200 | +70% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $41.16 | $70.00 | +70% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $26.46 | $45.00 | +70% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $27.88 | $50.00 | +79% |
| Cinema seat | $7.81 | $14.00 | +79% |
| Men's haircut | $16.73 | $30.00 | +79% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $44.47 | $55.00 | +24% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $72.78 | $90.00 | +24% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $139 | $250 | +79% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Beyond prices
What each place pays, charges and offers — wages, rent, healthcare, climate, risk and time off. Figures come from the same engines behind the individual tools, so they match what those pages say. They sit about 3,365 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 🇺🇸 United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $765 | $5,087 |
| Rent, modelled 1-bed Monthly, USD. | — | $1,109 |
| Rent as % of a local wage Are locals priced out? | — | 21.8% |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $314 | $1,472 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Mexico City and New York. | 152 | 73 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | weak | strong |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 5 (medium) | 3.2 (low) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 7 | 10 + 3 regional |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 16.7 | 9.9 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 75.3 | 78.9 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 24.9 | 5.8 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 83.1% | 94.7% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 142.3 | 271.2 |
Related
More comparisons
Mexico compared with
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is United States than Mexico?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,410 in United States versus $1,253 in Mexico — 92% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in United States?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $6.00 in United States, versus about $3.35 in Mexico.
- How much is rent in United States compared to Mexico?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,750/month in United States versus $832/month in Mexico (+110%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.