Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,883 in Bristol, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bristol, United Kingdom
Mexico City, Mexico
Bristol
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,883
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bristol and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bristol and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Bristol versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

  • Bristol $2,883
  • Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,161 in Bristol versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

  • Bristol $4,161
  • Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,440 in Bristol versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

  • Bristol $5,440
  • Mexico City $3,490

Living in Bristol is roughly 79% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 112% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.78 £17.76
$10.62 MX$199
123.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$114 £85.0
$48.35 MX$908
135.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.82 £8.08
$10.35 MX$194
4.54%
Cappuccino
$5.14 £3.84
$3.69 MX$69.3
39.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 £2.01
$1.67 MX$31.29
61.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 £1.38
$1.27 MX$23.76
44.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.83 £5.84
$3.19 MX$59.9
145.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.74 £5.04
$5.31 MX$99.6
26.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 £1.14
$1.72 MX$32.38
-11.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 £1.28
$3.04 MX$57.1
-43.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 £1.57
$1.94 MX$36.44
8.25%
Eggs
$4.25 £3.18
$2.89 MX$54.2
47.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.15 £6.09
$10.97 MX$206
-25.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.82 £7.34
$9.25 MX$174
6.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.88 £9.62
$15.13 MX$284
-14.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.22 £2.40
$3.05 MX$57.2
5.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 £1.31
$1.94 MX$36.45
-9.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 £2.02
$2.03 MX$38.02
33.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 £3.08
$2.31 MX$43.46
78.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 £1.55
$2.04 MX$38.21
1.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 £1.08
$1.80 MX$33.79
-19.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.48 MX$27.77
-16.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 £1.50
$1.27 MX$23.80
59.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.31 £17.40
$5.30 MX$99.6
339.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.57 £7.90
$16.10 MX$302
-34.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.89 £2.15
$1.98 MX$37.23
45.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 £2.73
$4.25 MX$79.8
-14.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 £2.54
$0.31 MX$5.73
996.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 £93.1
$19.73 MX$371
531.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.50 £2.61
$1.84 MX$34.50
90.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 £1.21
$0.53 MX$10.02
205.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.41 £19.72
$5.30 MX$99.4
398.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 £1.62
$1.51 MX$28.36
43.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.3K
$21.8K MX$408.4K
74.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £29.9K
$24.0K MX$450.3K
66.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$326 £244
$63.0 MX$1,182
418.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.56 £13.11
$27.39 MX$514
-35.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.06 £28.42
$35.67 MX$670
6.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.92 £31.30
$58.9 MX$1,107
-28.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.75 £8.77
$23.64 MX$444
-50.30%
Cinema Ticket
$15.58 £11.63
$6.40 MX$120
143.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,366 £1,766
$432 MX$8,103
448.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.2K £18.8K
$11.4K MX$214.5K
120.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 £74.8
$68.2 MX$1,281
46.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.78 £35.67
$53.1 MX$997
-10.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 £80.3
$108 MX$2,023
-0.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.6 £72.1
$117 MX$2,202
-17.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 £1,466
$1,113 MX$20.9K
76.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,455 £1,086
$710 MX$13.3K
104.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,048 £2,276
$2,588 MX$48.6K
17.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,225 £1,661
$1,406 MX$26.4K
58.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,040 £5,256
$3,631 MX$68.2K
93.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,142 £3,839
$2,135 MX$40.1K
140.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bristol
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,801 £2,838
$946 MX$17.8K
301.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
11.35
-57.09%

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

Last update for Bristol: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bristol
$1.5K
Mexico City
$710 51.2% $745
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bristol
$382
Mexico City
$126 67% $256
Eating Out
Bristol
$355
Mexico City
$199 44.1% $157
Groceries & Markets
Bristol
$309
Mexico City
$320 3.4% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Bristol
$158
Mexico City
$156 1.6% $2.6
Getting Around
Bristol
$150
Mexico City
$25 83% $124
Sport & Entertainment
Bristol
$73
Mexico City
$72 1.8% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,963 in Bristol and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $114 in Bristol vs $48 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $320, with Bristol cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Bristol
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
10:01 10:01 AM
04:01 4:01 AM
6 h behind Bristol
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
463,400
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bristol Mexico City 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bristol
  • Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Bristol vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bristol and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,883 in Bristol and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bristol or Mexico City?
Average pay in Bristol is about 4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bristol and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,963 in Bristol versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Bristol and Mexico City?
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.
How do I decide between Bristol and Mexico City?
It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Bristol on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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