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 $2,341 per month in Chester vs $1,467 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,445 per month in Chester vs $2,371 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Chester vs $3,274 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chester costs about 60% 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 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 £14.96

$13.18 MX$228

52.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.1

$53.9 MX$932

77.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 £7.17

$9.42 MX$163

2.44%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$3.55 MX$61.4

32.39%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$1.62 MX$27.98

46.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.11 MX$19.27

81.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.46 £4.80

$3.12 MX$54.0

107.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$4.63 MX$80.1

34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.70 MX$29.43

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.72 MX$47.02

-39.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.91 MX$33.07

14.14%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.93

$2.54 MX$43.86

55.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 £6.17

$10.03 MX$174

-17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 £6.51

$8.09 MX$140

8.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 £6.21

$11.62 MX$201

-28.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.97 MX$51.3

-3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.81 MX$31.24

-11.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 £3.02

$2.01 MX$34.82

101.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$2.03 MX$35.20

12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$2.12 MX$36.75

-36.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.27 MX$39.25

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.40 MX$24.22

-8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.13 MX$19.55

12.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.63 £15.33

$4.27 MX$73.9

383.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.58 £8.61

$15.56 MX$269

-25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.26

$1.76 MX$30.39

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$3.60 MX$62.2

-19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 £3.04

$0.38 MX$6.62

976.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.78 £35.51

$19.18 MX$332

149.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 £3.00

$1.38 MX$23.79

192.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 £0.56

$0.28 MX$4.78

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.62 £12.35

$5.45 MX$94.2

204.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.30 MX$22.55

44.62%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

107.53%

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

$37.1K £27.6K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

60.39%

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

$319 £237

$40.86 MX$707

679.76%

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

$23.57 £17.52

$26.81 MX$464

-12.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 £31.71

$29.96 MX$518

42.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 £29.32

$52.0 MX$900

-24.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 £10.21

$26.84 MX$464

-48.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 £10.22

$6.30 MX$109

118.25%

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

$1,617 £1,202

$436 MX$7,544

270.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,901

$10.4K MX$180.2K

27.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 £66.5

$56.7 MX$980

57.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 £37.99

$44.38 MX$768

15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 £93.6

$103 MX$1,780

22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £96.2

$106 MX$1,825

22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 £1,012

$1,022 MX$17.7K

33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 £807

$631 MX$10.9K

72.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 £1,564

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 £1,313

$1,243 MX$21.5K

42.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,048 £2,266

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-21.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,012 £2,238

$2,064 MX$35.7K

45.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,182 £3,109

$1,115 MX$19.3K

275.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

11.34

-50.62%

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

Last update for Chester: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,361 in Chester versus $1,022 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 275% 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 $96.0 in Chester versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Chester vs $288 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 60% 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 $3,511 per month in Chester and $2,201 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 $1,617 per month in Chester and $436 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 5% cheaper in Chester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,467, than in Chester at $2,341. 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 $1,467 versus $2,341 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.