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: $2,519 in Balbriggan versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,758 in Balbriggan versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Balbriggan versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 74% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balbriggan 87% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.01 €19.82

$12.98 MX$223

77.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €89.6

$52.6 MX$903

97.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.69 €10.93

$9.43 MX$162

34.57%

Cappuccino

$4.82 €4.15

$3.57 MX$61.3

35.01%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.61 MX$27.55

54.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.15 MX$19.81

85.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 €7.17

$3.15 MX$54.0

164.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 €5.86

$4.86 MX$83.4

39.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.70 MX$29.17

-1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.64 MX$45.23

-20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.90 MX$32.67

4.21%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.70

$2.54 MX$43.62

23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €9.80

$10.08 MX$173

12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 €9.86

$8.29 MX$142

38.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 €12.00

$11.57 MX$199

20.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.81

$3.03 MX$52.0

7.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.71 MX$29.35

18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.05 MX$35.16

41.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 €4.79

$2.06 MX$35.36

169.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.06 MX$35.43

4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.17 MX$37.25

-17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.40 MX$24.08

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.12 MX$19.26

77.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.24 €17.43

$4.29 MX$73.7

371.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 €12.03

$15.41 MX$265

-9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.50

$1.67 MX$28.74

74.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.18

$3.69 MX$63.3

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.38 MX$6.55

547.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 €84.8

$19.06 MX$327

416.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 €4.52

$1.38 MX$23.70

279.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.28 MX$4.74

639.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.81 €33.44

$5.42 MX$92.9

616.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.28 MX$21.98

58.59%

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

$41.7K €36.0K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

119.90%

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

$40.7K €35.0K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

73.33%

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

$177 €153

$41.02 MX$704

331.57%

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

$17.57 €15.14

$26.92 MX$462

-34.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.24 €39.84

$29.69 MX$510

55.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.54

$52.3 MX$898

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 €11.86

$6.18 MX$106

122.82%

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

$1,374 €1,184

$427 MX$7,331

221.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,416 €8,113

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.3

$56.8 MX$975

84.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.86 €24.86

$44.83 MX$769

-35.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 €55.9

$105 MX$1,794

-37.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$106 MX$1,819

18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 €1,291

$995 MX$17.1K

50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$621 MX$10.7K

102.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 €2,095

$2,126 MX$36.5K

14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 €1,677

$1,254 MX$21.5K

55.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,381 €3,775

$3,903 MX$67.0K

12.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,748 €2,368

$2,096 MX$36.0K

31.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,033

$1,107 MX$19.0K

113.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.34

-64.37%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,498 in Balbriggan and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 113% 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: $104 in Balbriggan vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $288 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 74% in total monthly costs ($2,519 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Balbriggan pays 113% more on average, 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: $1,498 in Balbriggan versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% 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 $53.0 versus $104 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $2,519 in Balbriggan, a $2,000 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 74% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.