Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,730 in Balbriggan versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Balbriggan versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,358 in Balbriggan versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 65% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balbriggan 100% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 €21.71

$11.92 MX$205

109.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €91.6

$51.6 MX$886

103.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €12.01

$11.41 MX$196

20.86%

Cappuccino

$5.05 €4.40

$3.99 MX$68.6

26.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.58

$1.66 MX$28.48

78.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.33 MX$22.77

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 €7.07

$3.47 MX$59.6

133.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 €6.52

$5.90 MX$101

26.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.88 MX$32.21

-10.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.15

$3.25 MX$55.9

-24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$2.16 MX$37.10

-4.17%

Eggs

$3.24 €2.82

$2.90 MX$49.72

11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.73

$12.86 MX$221

-22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.21

$10.05 MX$173

28.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 €14.68

$15.86 MX$272

6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.64

$3.29 MX$56.6

-7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$2.01 MX$34.44

14.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.20 MX$37.76

30.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 €4.77

$2.36 MX$40.44

132.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.05 MX$35.27

-1.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.90 MX$32.64

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.61 MX$27.55

-14.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.40 MX$23.98

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.09 €19.24

$5.46 MX$93.8

304.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 €12.21

$17.65 MX$303

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.06 MX$35.28

37.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.32

$4.68 MX$80.4

-43.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$0.34 MX$5.81

644.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €95.0

$20.81 MX$357

424.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.66

$2.10 MX$35.99

154.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.39

$0.56 MX$9.60

183.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.21 €33.29

$5.81 MX$99.8

557.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.61 MX$27.56

37.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.9K €35.7K

$22.8K MX$392.1K

79.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.3K €35.1K

$26.8K MX$459.2K

50.66%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 €154

$65.2 MX$1,119

170.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.27 €15.04

$30.09 MX$517

-42.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.17 €40.23

$37.18 MX$638

24.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €47.53

$59.8 MX$1,026

-8.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 €11.85

$7.04 MX$121

93.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,148

$465 MX$7,976

183.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,482 €4,776

$13.3K MX$227.8K

-58.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.5

$75.9 MX$1,303

48.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.34 €25.56

$56.0 MX$960

-47.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 €55.9

$112 MX$1,920

-42.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$121 MX$2,068

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 €1,435

$1,103 MX$18.9K

49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,228

$721 MX$12.4K

95.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 €2,204

$2,530 MX$43.4K

0.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 €1,949

$1,293 MX$22.2K

72.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,394 €2,086

$1,037 MX$17.8K

130.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Balbriggan: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,647 in Balbriggan and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 131% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $105 in Balbriggan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Balbriggan vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balbriggan and Mexico City differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,730 vs $1,660 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% higher in Balbriggan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,647 in Balbriggan versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,730 in Balbriggan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.