Cost of Living · US vs MX
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇲🇽 Mexico City: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $1,253 in Mexico — 48% cheaper.
- Essentials, United States
- $2,410/mo
- Essentials, Mexico
- $1,253/mo
- Difference
- -48%
- 1-bed city rent, Mexico
- $832/mo
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Mexico
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -52%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -52%
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -52%
Closest to United States prices
- Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -19%
- Running shoes (brand): -19%
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -19%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | Mexico | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $832 (16,008 MXN) | -52% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $666 (12,806 MXN) | -52% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $1,522 (29,271 MXN) | -52% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $10.04 (193 MXN) | -44% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $41.82 (805 MXN) | -44% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $6.47 (124 MXN) | -41% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $0.72 (14 MXN) | -35% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $2.09 (40 MXN) | -35% |
| Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $2.22 (43 MXN) | -35% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $6.54 (126 MXN) | -35% |
| White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $2.62 (50 MXN) | -34% |
| Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $3.14 (60 MXN) | -35% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $7.85 (151 MXN) | -35% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.31 (25 MXN) | -34% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $3.35 (64 MXN) | -44% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $6.47 (124 MXN) | -19% |
| Cappuccino | $5.00 | $2.79 (54 MXN) | -44% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $1.50 (29 MXN) | -35% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $38.22 (735 MXN) | -41% |
| Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $1.62 (31 MXN) | -41% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $2.23 (43 MXN) | -44% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.00 (19 MXN) | -44% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.77 (15 MXN) | -19% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $118 (2,262 MXN) | -41% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $41.16 (792 MXN) | -41% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $26.46 (509 MXN) | -41% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $27.88 (536 MXN) | -44% |
| Cinema seat | $14.00 | $7.81 (150 MXN) | -44% |
| Men's haircut | $30.00 | $16.73 (322 MXN) | -44% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $44.47 (856 MXN) | -19% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $72.78 (1,400 MXN) | -19% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $139 (2,682 MXN) | -44% |
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 | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $5,087 | $765 |
| 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. | $1,472 | $314 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 3.7 | 2.6 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at New York and Mexico City. | 73 | 152 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | strong | weak |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 3.2 (low) | 5 (medium) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 10 + 3 regional | 7 |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 9.9 | 16.7 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 78.9 | 75.3 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 5.8 | 24.9 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 94.7% | 83.1% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 271.2 | 142.3 |
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Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Mexico than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,253 in Mexico versus $2,410 in United States — 48% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Mexico?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.35 in Mexico (≈ 64.45 MXN), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in Mexico compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $832/month in Mexico versus $1,750/month in United States (-52%). 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.