Mexico · Cost of living · 2026
Cost of living in Mexico
What a month actually costs in Mexico City and Mérida — rent, food, transport, utilities and private health cover. Every figure below is quoted in pesos with a dollar conversion and its source named, so you can check it yourself rather than trust a crowd-sourced average.
Run your own numbers →🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico — monthly costs
Native Mexican peso figures with a US-dollar conversion. Each line shows where the number came from and when it was last reviewed.
The total adds the one-bedroom rent, groceries, dining out, utilities, two transit passes and two private health policies. It excludes one-off move costs, tuition, car ownership and income tax. Rent is the single biggest variable — a longer lease outside the centre typically lands well below the figure above.
🇲🇽 Mérida, Mexico — monthly costs
Native Mexican peso figures with a US-dollar conversion. Each line shows where the number came from and when it was last reviewed.
The total adds the one-bedroom rent, groceries, dining out, utilities, two transit passes and two private health policies. It excludes one-off move costs, tuition, car ownership and income tax. Rent is the single biggest variable — a longer lease outside the centre typically lands well below the figure above.
How Mexico City and Mérida compare
Same basket, side by side.
| City | Monthly total (couple, one-bedroom) |
|---|---|
| 🇲🇽 Mexico City, Mexico | $1,460–$2,635 |
| 🇲🇽 Mérida, Mexico | $1,183–$2,343 |
Peso totals convert at the current reference rate, so the dollar figures move with the exchange rate as well as with local prices. Mérida runs cheaper on housing but carries year-round air-conditioning in its utilities line, which narrows the gap in the hotter months.
Budgeting for the visa, not just the rent
Monthly cost is one number; residency has its own.
Mexico's temporary residency income test is set against the UMA benchmark in pesos and reviewed each year, so the dollar equivalent shifts with the exchange rate. Solvency can be shown through monthly income or through savings held over a set period, and each dependant raises the requirement. The visa checker walks through which route matches your situation and what evidence each one asks for.
Relokato is a planning tool, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Prices, tariffs and official thresholds change — always verify against the source linked beside each figure before you commit money or file anything.