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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,489 in Cardiff versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Cardiff versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,374 in Cardiff versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 51% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 81% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.18

$12.11 MX$206

69.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £64.8

$52.2 MX$887

67.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.20

$10.90 MX$185

1.38%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.50

$4.05 MX$68.8

16.54%

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

$3.19 £2.37

$1.72 MX$29.13

85.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.38 MX$23.40

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 £5.84

$3.47 MX$58.9

127.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 £4.42

$5.81 MX$98.7

2.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.85 MX$31.48

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.13

$3.22 MX$54.7

-52.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$2.09 MX$35.42

5.26%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.79

$2.91 MX$49.41

29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 £7.25

$12.49 MX$212

-21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.40

$10.11 MX$172

-14.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.63

$15.89 MX$270

-9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$3.31 MX$56.3

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.13 MX$36.12

-25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$2.19 MX$37.20

40.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.45 MX$41.57

31.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.19 MX$37.18

-11.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.90 MX$32.35

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$1.62 MX$27.44

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.35 MX$22.92

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.77 £16.89

$5.43 MX$92.1

319.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 £8.46

$17.59 MX$299

-35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.07 MX$35.12

50.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$4.75 MX$80.6

-32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.41

$0.34 MX$5.77

855.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 £60.3

$21.58 MX$366

276.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 £3.49

$2.04 MX$34.65

130.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$0.58 MX$9.82

193.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.79 £27.29

$5.97 MX$101

516.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.62 MX$27.44

30.25%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

71.21%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

52.91%

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

$314 £233

$65.2 MX$1,108

381.79%

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

$26.23 £19.46

$29.87 MX$507

-12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.23 £34.29

$36.55 MX$621

26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 £25.11

$61.0 MX$1,036

-44.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 £8.93

$26.70 MX$453

-54.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 £7.94

$6.85 MX$116

56.20%

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

$2,028 £1,504

$453 MX$7,700

347.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K £24.5K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

146.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 £72.9

$75.0 MX$1,273

31.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 £36.36

$55.3 MX$939

-11.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £86.9

$114 MX$1,929

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £73.9

$123 MX$2,083

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 £910

$1,134 MX$19.3K

8.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 £821

$712 MX$12.1K

55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 £1,634

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-14.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 £1,147

$1,311 MX$22.3K

17.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,566 £4,128

$3,993 MX$67.8K

39.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 £2,633

$2,095 MX$35.6K

69.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 £2,434

$1,047 MX$17.8K

213.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

11.3

-54.78%

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

Last update for Cardiff: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,227 in Cardiff and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 214% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $345, with Cardiff cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cardiff and Mexico City differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,489 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 214% higher in Cardiff, 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: $1,227 in Cardiff versus $1,134 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 $52.0 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in Cardiff versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,489 in Cardiff, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. 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.

Safety-wise, Cardiff 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 51% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.