You Can Buy Mexican Coca-Cola In The US, But It Will Cost You

Coca-Cola fans, you've likely heard that your favorite soda is a little bit different south of the border. The ingredients list isn't the only difference between Mexican and U.S. Coca-Cola, however. Mexican Coca-Cola is quite a bit more expensive than the American version, at least if you're purchasing your soda in a U.S. store. There are a few different factors that could influence the price difference, including packaging, the use of real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, and transportation.

In Pennsylvania, a four-pack of 12-ounce Mexican Coca-Cola bottles sold at Walmart costs $7.22, which breaks down to about $1.81 per bottle. By comparison, an eight-pack of 12-ounce American Coca-Cola costs $6.42, which breaks down to about 80 cents per bottle — more than a $1 difference per bottle. We were curious about whether the price changes closer to the U.S.-Mexican border, so we took a look. At the Walmart in Laredo, Texas (a town that sits on the border between both countries), the price of both Mexican and American Coca-Cola were the same as Walmart in Pennsylvania. Of course, a corporation as large as Walmart may not change prices based on region, so it's possible that you may be able to find Mexican Coca-Cola for less at smaller, locally owned stores near the border.

The iconic glass bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola is the most noticeable difference between the two soft drinks, and it's likely one of the main reasons for the disparity in price. Glass packaging is simply more expensive than its plastic counterpart. Transportation is also a factor, as distributors have to pay for Mexican Coca-Cola bottles to be shipped internationally. Often, shipping costs are calculated by weight. Since glass is heavier than plastic, this raises the cost of importing Mexican Coca-Cola even higher for stores in the U.S.

Another difference in cost could come down to the drinks' slightly different formulas. The ingredients in American Coca-Cola are listed as carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, and caffeine. The ingredients in Mexican Coca-Cola are almost exactly the same, even down to the amount of caffeine at 34 milligrams per 12 ounces — except for the sweetener; American Coca-Cola is made with corn syrup, while the Mexican version is made with sugar. 

While some people say that Mexican Coca-Cola is totally deserving of its cult-favorite status, many actually can't tell the difference between the two formulas, according to some blind taste tests. In 2025, President Donald Trump announced that Coca-Cola agreed to remove high fructose corn syrup from its U.S. recipe in favor of using sugar like the Mexican version, but we have yet to see a change on U.S. ingredient labels. If you prefer the taste of real sugar, or simply like the feel of a glass bottle, it might make more sense for you to shell out an extra buck or so for a bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola.