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: $2,561 in Balbriggan versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Balbriggan versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,941 in Balbriggan versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balbriggan 92% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.37

$13.14 MX$227

79.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €91.1

$53.5 MX$926

96.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.21

$9.33 MX$161

38.80%

Cappuccino

$4.81 €4.16

$3.70 MX$64.0

30.00%

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

$2.48 €2.15

$1.60 MX$27.76

55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.92

$1.12 MX$19.34

98.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.29 €7.18

$3.14 MX$54.3

164.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 €6.17

$4.85 MX$83.9

47.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.65 MX$28.61

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.90

$2.71 MX$46.96

-19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.91 MX$33.03

9.42%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.83

$2.59 MX$44.81

26.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 €9.55

$9.81 MX$170

12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 €10.07

$8.43 MX$146

37.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 €12.05

$11.93 MX$206

16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.74

$2.95 MX$51.1

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.74 MX$30.10

18.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$2.04 MX$35.38

40.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 €4.83

$2.06 MX$35.64

170.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.15 MX$37.20

4.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.26 MX$39.02

-24.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.39 MX$23.97

-2.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.12 MX$19.31

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.34 €17.61

$4.22 MX$73.0

381.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 €11.95

$17.51 MX$303

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.71 MX$29.58

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.21

$3.63 MX$62.8

-29.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.13

$0.35 MX$6.10

602.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 €85.3

$19.32 MX$334

409.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 €4.50

$1.38 MX$23.80

276.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.28 MX$4.77

635.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.26 €33.14

$5.28 MX$91.3

624.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.36 MX$23.50

53.68%

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

$43.1K €37.3K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

125.36%

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

$41.1K €35.6K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

73.99%

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

$170 €148

$40.53 MX$701

320.60%

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

$17.27 €14.96

$27.38 MX$474

-36.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.73 €40.47

$30.38 MX$526

53.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.99

$52.2 MX$903

3.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.89

$6.19 MX$107

121.81%

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

$1,334 €1,155

$425 MX$7,355

213.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,712 €8,410

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-9.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.8

$58.3 MX$1,009

77.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.56 €24.73

$44.57 MX$771

-35.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 €54.1

$103 MX$1,791

-39.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €110

$109 MX$1,881

16.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 €1,287

$1,014 MX$17.5K

46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$623 MX$10.8K

96.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 €2,089

$2,119 MX$36.7K

13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 €1,731

$1,223 MX$21.2K

63.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,425 €3,832

$3,792 MX$65.6K

16.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,327 €2,015

$1,052 MX$18.2K

121.12%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,486 in Balbriggan and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 121% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $293 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 ($2,561 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 121% 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: $1,486 in Balbriggan versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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 $54.0 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,561 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.