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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,540 per month in Birmingham vs $1,660 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,769 per month in Birmingham vs $2,565 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,998 per month in Birmingham vs $3,470 in Mexico City, rent included.

Birmingham costs about 53% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Birmingham and Mexico City sit above the global median – Birmingham by 86%, Mexico City by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.12

$11.92 MX$206

69.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.7

$51.6 MX$890

101.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 £6.95

$11.41 MX$197

-18.49%

Cappuccino

$5.22 £3.90

$3.99 MX$68.9

30.83%

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

$2.63 £1.96

$1.66 MX$28.61

58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.33 MX$22.87

40.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.45 £5.56

$3.47 MX$59.9

114.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 £5.07

$5.90 MX$102

14.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.88 MX$32.36

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 £1.37

$3.25 MX$56.1

-43.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 £1.90

$2.16 MX$37.26

18.06%

Eggs

$3.80 £2.84

$2.90 MX$49.94

31.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 £8.67

$12.86 MX$222

-9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.08

$10.05 MX$173

-5.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 £11.38

$15.86 MX$273

-4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 £1.90

$3.29 MX$56.8

-22.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$2.01 MX$34.60

-1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$2.20 MX$37.93

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 £2.71

$2.36 MX$40.63

53.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.05 MX$35.43

-20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.90 MX$32.79

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.61 MX$27.68

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.40 MX$24.09

17.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.81 £17.05

$5.46 MX$94.2

317.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 £9.02

$17.65 MX$304

-31.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 £2.80

$2.06 MX$35.44

82.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.56

$4.68 MX$80.8

-26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 £3.11

$0.34 MX$5.84

1123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 £71.5

$20.81 MX$359

359.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 £3.80

$2.10 MX$36.15

141.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 £1.87

$0.56 MX$9.64

346.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.10 £18.01

$5.81 MX$100

314.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.61 MX$27.68

32.92%

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

$39.4K £29.5K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

72.67%

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

$42.0K £31.4K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

56.96%

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

$323 £242

$65.2 MX$1,124

395.84%

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

$21.90 £16.36

$30.09 MX$519

-27.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.08 £36.67

$37.18 MX$641

32.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 £26.86

$59.8 MX$1,030

-39.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.97 £23.15

$26.55 MX$458

16.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 £12.24

$7.04 MX$121

132.67%

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

$1,662 £1,242

$465 MX$8,012

257.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K £18.4K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

85.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 £82.0

$75.9 MX$1,308

44.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 £37.92

$56.0 MX$965

-9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £88.7

$112 MX$1,929

6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 £112

$121 MX$2,078

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 £1,061

$1,103 MX$19.0K

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 £843

$721 MX$12.4K

56.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 £1,730

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-8.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 £1,263

$1,293 MX$22.3K

30.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 £4,047

$3,991 MX$68.8K

35.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,290 £3,206

$2,090 MX$36.0K

105.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,570 £3,415

$1,037 MX$17.9K

340.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

11.3

-54.96%

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

Last update for Birmingham: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,420 in Birmingham versus $1,103 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 341% higher in Birmingham, 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 $104 in Birmingham versus $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Birmingham vs $345 in Mexico City – so Birmingham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,540 in Birmingham, $1,660 in Mexico City – roughly 53% apart. Birmingham costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,810 per month in Birmingham and $2,489 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,662 per month in Birmingham and $465 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Birmingham – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,660, than in Birmingham at $2,540. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,660 in Mexico City to $2,540 in Birmingham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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