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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,862 per month in Biel vs $1,561 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,510 per month in Biel vs $2,440 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,157 per month in Biel vs $3,319 in Mexico City, rent included.

Biel costs about 83% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Biel and Mexico City sit above the global median – Biel by 114%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.59 CHF 24.61

$11.12 MX$202

166.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 88.6

$48.99 MX$891

117.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.30 CHF 15.22

$11.23 MX$204

62.96%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.13

$3.76 MX$68.4

64.10%

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

$5.01 CHF 4.16

$1.65 MX$30.05

203.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 CHF 3.43

$1.28 MX$23.27

221.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 CHF 6.46

$3.26 MX$59.2

138.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 CHF 4.07

$5.66 MX$103

-13.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.79

$1.81 MX$32.92

18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 CHF 3.31

$2.94 MX$53.5

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.74

$2.05 MX$37.27

60.49%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.89

$2.93 MX$53.2

141.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.61 CHF 18.80

$11.95 MX$217

89.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CHF 22.99

$9.51 MX$173

190.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.52 CHF 32.03

$14.84 MX$270

159.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.58

$3.14 MX$57.2

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.69

$2.01 MX$36.65

1.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.07

$2.08 MX$37.75

19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 CHF 2.67

$2.22 MX$40.35

44.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 CHF 1.18

$2.06 MX$37.47

-31.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.46

$1.88 MX$34.14

-6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 CHF 1.66

$1.48 MX$26.93

34.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.88

$1.35 MX$24.47

-21.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.63 CHF 8.84

$5.41 MX$98.4

96.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 CHF 12.32

$16.86 MX$307

-12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CHF 0.76

$1.98 MX$36.09

-53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$4.32 MX$78.7

-58.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.77 CHF 3.97

$0.34 MX$6.27

1302.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.5 CHF 78.6

$20.23 MX$368

367.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.54

$2.10 MX$38.11

274.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.64 CHF 3.86

$0.53 MX$9.65

775.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$84.3 CHF 70.1

$5.41 MX$98.3

1458.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$1.52 MX$27.65

45.39%

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

$41.9K CHF 34.8K

$21.7K MX$395.3K

92.83%

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

$34.0K CHF 28.3K

$24.8K MX$451.4K

37.18%

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

$137 CHF 114

$63.0 MX$1,145

116.96%

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

$35.28 CHF 29.34

$28.88 MX$525

22.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 CHF 43.21

$33.93 MX$617

53.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 CHF 62.2

$55.8 MX$1,015

34.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$22.05 CHF 18.34

$6.77 MX$123

225.70%

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

$2,615 CHF 2,174

$428 MX$7,781

511.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.3K CHF 31.0K

$11.9K MX$216.0K

214.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 CHF 88.2

$70.0 MX$1,274

51.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 CHF 33.30

$53.7 MX$977

-25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 CHF 114

$110 MX$1,997

24.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 CHF 177

$115 MX$2,096

85.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 CHF 1,030

$1,062 MX$19.3K

16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 CHF 936

$671 MX$12.2K

67.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 CHF 1,872

$2,379 MX$43.3K

-5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 CHF 1,669

$1,260 MX$22.9K

59.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,747 CHF 8,106

$3,716 MX$67.6K

162.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,907 CHF 6,575

$1,976 MX$35.9K

300.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,538 CHF 4,605

$997 MX$18.1K

455.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

11.3

-85.13%

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

Last update for Biel: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in Biel versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 455% higher in Biel, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Biel versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $327 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Biel is pricier by about 83%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,293 per month in Biel and $2,341 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 367% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,615 per month in Biel and $428 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,561, than in Biel at $2,862. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Biel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Biel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.