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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,409 in Bern versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,182 in Bern versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,955 in Bern versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Bern is roughly 134% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bern 155% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.49 CHF 23.08

$13.07 MX$228

117.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.4

$53.8 MX$936

100.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.15 CHF 13.89

$9.68 MX$169

77.17%

Cappuccino

$5.75 CHF 4.65

$3.74 MX$65.1

53.74%

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

$4.76 CHF 3.85

$1.62 MX$28.13

193.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.87

$1.16 MX$20.23

312.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 CHF 6.62

$3.23 MX$56.2

153.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CHF 5.03

$4.74 MX$82.5

31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.65 MX$28.68

34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.69

$2.75 MX$47.95

21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 CHF 3.45

$1.87 MX$32.63

127.81%

Eggs

$7.09 CHF 5.74

$2.50 MX$43.54

183.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 23.22

$10.20 MX$178

181.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.86 CHF 29.04

$8.25 MX$144

334.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.00 CHF 33.21

$11.82 MX$206

246.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.73

$3.01 MX$52.4

12.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.81 MX$31.54

23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.23

$2.00 MX$34.81

38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.56

$2.00 MX$34.74

243.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$2.08 MX$36.30

4.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.73

$2.27 MX$39.56

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$1.46 MX$25.36

66.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.93

$1.08 MX$18.74

6.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.33

$4.35 MX$75.7

164.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 CHF 9.88

$16.99 MX$296

-28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.59

$1.73 MX$30.18

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$3.58 MX$62.3

-36.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 CHF 3.03

$0.39 MX$6.74

858.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.5 CHF 79.8

$18.69 MX$325

426.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 CHF 6.51

$1.33 MX$23.08

504.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 CHF 3.60

$0.28 MX$4.87

1485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.5 CHF 74.1

$5.25 MX$91.5

1643.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.79

$1.34 MX$23.27

65.67%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.3K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

111.74%

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

$58.3K CHF 47.2K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

144.59%

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

$367 CHF 297

$40.69 MX$709

801.84%

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

$58.3 CHF 47.24

$26.87 MX$468

117.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$30.51 MX$531

90.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.1 CHF 65.7

$52.8 MX$919

53.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.39 CHF 37.58

$26.65 MX$464

74.07%

Cinema Ticket

$24.71 CHF 20.02

$6.51 MX$113

279.57%

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

$3,315 CHF 2,685

$428 MX$7,454

674.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K CHF 32.5K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

281.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 CHF 125

$57.3 MX$997

169.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 CHF 56.0

$45.50 MX$792

51.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 141

$104 MX$1,812

67.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 153

$108 MX$1,878

75.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CHF 1,516

$1,003 MX$17.5K

86.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,040

$623 MX$10.8K

106.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,197 CHF 2,589

$2,109 MX$36.7K

51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,954

$1,218 MX$21.2K

98.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

393.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

655.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,080 CHF 5,735

$1,038 MX$18.1K

582.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

11.34

-77.78%

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

Last update for Bern: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,871 in Bern and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 582% 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: $108 in Bern vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $638 vs $292 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 582% higher in Bern, 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: $1,871 in Bern versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $108 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,409 per month in Bern versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $3,409 in Bern, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Bern. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.