Mexico City, Mexico
In Mexico City, $10 buys about 29 rides on the famously cheap CDMX Metro, eight to ten tacos al pastor from a street taqueria, or general admission to a neighborhood lucha libre match.
Index score 174 (rank 13 of 20) — the full basket totals $28.68, so $10 covers about 34.9% of it.
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The basket
| Item | Mexico City | NYC | vs NYC |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread (500g) | $3.02 | $4.61 | -34% |
| Milk (1L) | $1.80 | $1.44 | +25% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.82 | $5.90 | -52% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.97 | $2.10 | -6% |
| Bottled water (1.5L) | $1.32 | $2.50 | -47% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, store) | $2.00 | $3.21 | -38% |
| Cappuccino (cafe) | $3.81 | $6.09 | -37% |
| White rice (1kg) | $1.97 | $6.64 | -70% |
| Chicken breast (1kg) | $9.63 | $14.41 | -33% |
| Public transit, one-way ticket | $0.34 | $3.00 | -89% |
| Total | $28.68 | $49.90 |
What $10 actually buys here
- About 29 CDMX Metro rides~$9.90
Famously the cheapest subway system in the world, at $6 MXN a ride.
- 8 to 10 tacos al pastor~$9.00
A full taco crawl at a street taqueria.
- A lucha libre ticket at a local arena~$10.00
General admission to see wrestling at a smaller neighborhood venue.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a basic grocery basket cost in Mexico City?
$28.68 for a basic grocery basket in Mexico City — about $21 less than New York City's $49.90.
What can $10 buy in Mexico City?
Roughly 29 rides on the CDMX Metro at 6 pesos each — the cheapest subway system in the world — or eight to ten tacos al pastor on a street taco crawl.
Is Mexico City cheaper than New York for everyday expenses?
Yes — Mexico City's index score of 174 means a dollar goes roughly 1.7 times as far as in New York.
How much is public transit in Mexico City?
A single CDMX Metro ride costs about $0.34 — one of the cheapest fares of any city in this Index.
What's the most expensive basket item in Mexico City?
Chicken breast at $9.63 per kilo — nearly the entire $10 index amount for a single kilo, even though transit and produce are famously cheap.
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Keep exploring
In Mumbai, $10 covers a round-trip ferry to Elephanta Island with cave-temple entry, a full street-food crawl of vada pav and pav bhaji, or a Bollywood movie with popcorn.
In New York City, $10 covers a halal-cart chicken-and-rice platter, three subway or bus rides, or a pay-what-you-wish museum ticket — the baseline this whole index is measured against.
In Tokyo, $10 buys eight or nine plates at a conveyor-belt sushi chain, a full bowl of tonkotsu ramen with gyoza, or a Tokyo Tower Main Deck ticket with change left over.
Prices are researched estimates (July 2026), not live data — treat them as illustrative, not exact. See the methodology page for details.