Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Mexico City 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Mexico City is 46.0% lower than in Washington, DC (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Mexico City is 51.1% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Rent Prices in Mexico City are 59.2% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Restaurant Prices in Mexico City are 46.8% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Groceries Prices in Mexico City are 40.6% lower than in Washington, DC | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Mexico City is 63.8% lower than in Washington, DC | |
Restaurants | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
$28.00 (Mex$485.42) |
$11.58 (Mex$200.75) |
-58.6 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
$115.00 (Mex$1,993.71) |
$57.68 (Mex$1,000.00) |
-49.8 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
$12.00 (Mex$208.04) |
$10.53 (Mex$182.50) |
-12.3 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
$8.00 (Mex$138.69) |
$3.46 (Mex$60.00) |
-56.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
$10.00 (Mex$173.37) |
$5.77 (Mex$100.00) |
-42.3 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
$6.02 (Mex$104.29) |
$3.99 (Mex$69.14) |
-33.7 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
$3.37 (Mex$58.34) |
$1.58 (Mex$27.31) |
-53.2 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
$2.74 (Mex$47.42) |
$1.27 (Mex$22.04) |
-53.5 % |
Markets | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
$1.18 (Mex$20.43) |
$1.82 (Mex$31.48) |
+54.1 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
$3.67 (Mex$63.67) |
$2.62 (Mex$45.40) |
-28.7 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
$3.14 (Mex$54.35) |
$0.88 (Mex$15.20) |
-72.0 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
$5.42 (Mex$93.90) |
$2.76 (Mex$47.87) |
-49.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
$7.63 (Mex$132.23) |
$5.28 (Mex$91.53) |
-30.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
$8.00 (Mex$138.62) |
$4.39 (Mex$76.09) |
-45.1 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
$8.75 (Mex$151.63) |
$6.73 (Mex$116.69) |
-23.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
$3.02 (Mex$52.29) |
$1.45 (Mex$25.08) |
-52.0 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$0.95 (Mex$16.45) |
$0.90 (Mex$15.60) |
-5.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.27 (Mex$39.38) |
$1.01 (Mex$17.45) |
-55.7 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$2.55 (Mex$44.29) |
$1.01 (Mex$17.54) |
-60.4 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.29 (Mex$22.40) |
$0.98 (Mex$16.94) |
-24.4 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.52 (Mex$26.41) |
$0.86 (Mex$14.86) |
-43.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
$2.42 (Mex$41.93) |
$1.55 (Mex$26.90) |
-35.8 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
$2.43 (Mex$42.14) |
$1.34 (Mex$23.28) |
-44.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
$16.00 (Mex$277.39) |
$14.42 (Mex$250.00) |
-9.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
$3.28 (Mex$56.88) |
$1.96 (Mex$34.03) |
-40.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
$5.50 (Mex$95.43) |
$4.72 (Mex$81.78) |
-14.3 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
$13.94 (Mex$241.67) |
$5.19 (Mex$90.00) |
-62.8 % |
Transportation | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
$2.88 (Mex$49.84) |
$0.37 (Mex$6.50) |
-87.0 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
$120.00 (Mex$2,080.39) |
$17.59 (Mex$305.00) |
-85.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
$4.00 (Mex$69.35) |
$1.73 (Mex$30.00) |
-56.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
$2.56 (Mex$44.38) |
$0.74 (Mex$12.87) |
-71.0 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
$25.00 (Mex$433.42) |
$5.83 (Mex$101.00) |
-76.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
$0.94 (Mex$16.32) |
$1.47 (Mex$25.43) |
+55.9 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
$36,375.00 (Mex$630,618.82) |
$22,668.52 (Mex$392,995.00) |
-37.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
$25,962.29 (Mex$450,097.88) |
$26,365.67 (Mex$457,091.12) |
+1.6 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
$208.26 (Mex$3,610.53) |
$69.36 (Mex$1,202.52) |
-66.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
$76.45 (Mex$1,325.40) |
$29.84 (Mex$517.35) |
-61.0 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
$70.25 (Mex$1,217.87) |
$37.14 (Mex$643.85) |
-47.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
$120.00 (Mex$2,080.39) |
$58.41 (Mex$1,012.63) |
-51.3 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
$74.17 (Mex$1,285.80) |
$27.13 (Mex$470.38) |
-63.4 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
$17.25 (Mex$299.06) |
$6.92 (Mex$120.00) |
-59.9 % |
Childcare | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
$3,178.20 (Mex$55,099.18) |
$485.05 (Mex$8,409.09) |
-84.7 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
$41,506.00 (Mex$719,572.92) |
$12,696.76 (Mex$220,118.67) |
-69.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
$71.55 (Mex$1,240.35) |
$73.38 (Mex$1,272.22) |
+2.6 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
$44.78 (Mex$776.36) |
$52.20 (Mex$904.90) |
+16.6 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
$109.89 (Mex$1,905.10) |
$118.24 (Mex$2,049.95) |
+7.6 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
$144.05 (Mex$2,497.31) |
$124.38 (Mex$2,156.25) |
-13.7 % |
Rent Per Month | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
$2,780.00 (Mex$48,195.75) |
$1,152.32 (Mex$19,977.27) |
-58.5 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
$2,173.85 (Mex$37,687.10) |
$749.86 (Mex$13,000.00) |
-65.5 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
$5,376.67 (Mex$93,213.12) |
$2,661.59 (Mex$46,142.86) |
-50.5 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
$4,275.00 (Mex$74,113.96) |
$1,398.02 (Mex$24,236.84) |
-67.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
$800.41 (Mex$13,876.35) |
$361.10 (Mex$6,260.19) |
-54.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
$302.37 (Mex$5,242.00) |
$193.81 (Mex$3,359.99) |
-35.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | Washington, DC Edit |
Mexico City Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
$6,287.50 (Mex$109,003.87) |
$1,112.11 (Mex$19,280.14) |
-82.3 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 6.23 | 11.27 | +80.8 % |
| Last update: | 9 May 2026 | 16 May 2026 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 88 | 154 | |
Moving to Washington, DC? Explore:
Cities near Washington, DC: | Cost of Living in Arlington, Virginia | 4.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chevy Chase, Maryland | 7.01 miles |
| Cost of Living in Springfield, Virginia | 13.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Rockville, Maryland | 17.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Baltimore, Maryland | 38.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fredericksburg, Virginia | 52.45 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lexington Park, Maryland | 61.00 miles |
| Cost of Living in Richmond, Virginia | 106.83 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 113.70 miles |
| Cost of Living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | 117.62 miles |
Cities near Mexico City: | Cost of Living in Naucalpan de Juárez | 9.71 miles |
| Cost of Living in Nezahualcóyotl | 10.07 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ecatepec | 17.33 miles |
| Cost of Living in Chicoloapan de Juarez | 19.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Coacalco de Berriozabal | 21.40 miles |
| Cost of Living in Teotihuacan de Arista | 33.92 miles |
| Cost of Living in Amecameca, Estado de México | 37.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tepeji de Ocampo, Hidalgo | 48.59 miles |
| Cost of Living in Texmelucan | 58.10 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pachuca | 60.64 miles |