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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,365 per month in Chester vs $1,668 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,411 per month in Chester vs $2,613 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,458 per month in Chester vs $3,557 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chester costs about 42% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chester and Mexico City sit above the global median – Chester by 75%, Mexico City by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 £15.20

$12.03 MX$213

67.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 £65.6

$52.8 MX$937

64.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 £8.22

$11.69 MX$207

-6.93%

Cappuccino

$4.99 £3.77

$3.87 MX$68.7

28.94%

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

$2.41 £1.82

$1.75 MX$31.05

37.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 £1.40

$1.39 MX$24.74

33.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 £5.13

$3.36 MX$59.6

101.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.08

$5.77 MX$102

16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.34

$1.81 MX$32.04

-2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.36

$3.08 MX$54.7

-41.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 £1.80

$2.13 MX$37.78

11.74%

Eggs

$4.05 £3.06

$2.98 MX$52.8

35.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 £6.78

$12.53 MX$222

-28.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 £6.51

$10.24 MX$182

-15.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 £10.88

$15.92 MX$282

-9.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 £2.20

$3.39 MX$60.1

-13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$2.11 MX$37.37

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 £2.09

$2.13 MX$37.73

29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 £2.22

$2.47 MX$43.77

19.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.55

$2.04 MX$36.16

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$2.01 MX$35.72

-23.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.92

$1.59 MX$28.25

-23.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.18

$1.33 MX$23.58

17.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.34 £17.65

$5.49 MX$97.4

325.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.39 £8.61

$17.52 MX$311

-34.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.19

$2.01 MX$35.74

44.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.40

$4.74 MX$84.1

-32.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.04

$0.34 MX$5.96

694.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 £50.6

$21.07 MX$374

217.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 £4.12

$2.05 MX$36.41

166.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 £1.05

$0.61 MX$10.79

127.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 £17.18

$5.70 MX$101

298.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.52

$1.59 MX$28.20

26.42%

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

$38.5K £29.1K

$22.9K MX$406.1K

68.40%

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

$41.1K £31.1K

$26.4K MX$467.9K

55.74%

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

$337 £255

$64.2 MX$1,140

424.50%

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

$20.76 £15.69

$29.42 MX$522

-29.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 £31.88

$36.83 MX$653

14.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.25 £37.23

$58.7 MX$1,042

-16.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.49 £11.71

$26.54 MX$471

-41.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 £10.06

$6.95 MX$123

91.51%

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

$1,594 £1,205

$463 MX$8,210

244.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K £12.2K

$13.4K MX$237.1K

20.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 £66.6

$75.4 MX$1,338

16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.96 £31.72

$54.2 MX$962

-22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £78.7

$111 MX$1,972

-6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £70.4

$122 MX$2,167

-23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 £1,026

$1,133 MX$20.1K

19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 £791

$698 MX$12.4K

49.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 £1,491

$2,442 MX$43.3K

-19.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 £1,236

$1,303 MX$23.1K

25.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,952 £2,988

$3,910 MX$69.4K

1.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,356 £2,537

$2,069 MX$36.7K

62.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,142 £3,131

$1,052 MX$18.7K

293.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.3

-54.42%

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

Last update for Chester: September 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,358 in Chester versus $1,133 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 294% higher in Chester, 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 $87.0 in Chester versus $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Chester vs $343 in Mexico City – so Chester 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

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

Chester costs about 42% more than Mexico City, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,547 per month in Chester and $2,502 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 $1,594 per month in Chester and $463 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 14% cheaper in Chester – 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 $1,668, than in Chester at $2,365. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,668 versus $2,365 in Chester. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Chester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.