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 $2,374 per month in Chester vs $1,456 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,453 per month in Chester vs $2,361 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,533 per month in Chester vs $3,266 in Mexico City, rent included.

Chester costs about 63% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chester and Mexico City sit above the global median – Chester by 78%, Mexico City by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 £15.11

$13.07 MX$229

55.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 £70.7

$53.8 MX$940

76.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 £7.24

$9.68 MX$169

0.62%

Cappuccino

$4.71 £3.50

$3.74 MX$65.4

25.94%

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

$2.38 £1.77

$1.62 MX$28.25

46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.16 MX$20.31

77.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 £4.84

$3.23 MX$56.4

101.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 £4.52

$4.74 MX$82.9

28.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.65 MX$28.80

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.75 MX$48.15

-42.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 £1.60

$1.87 MX$32.77

14.97%

Eggs

$4.02 £2.99

$2.50 MX$43.72

60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 £6.22

$10.20 MX$178

-17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 £6.39

$8.25 MX$144

4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 £5.99

$11.82 MX$207

-31.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 £2.19

$3.01 MX$52.6

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.81 MX$31.67

-15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$2.00 MX$34.96

106.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 £1.67

$2.00 MX$34.89

12.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$2.08 MX$36.45

-33.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.27 MX$39.72

-38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.46 MX$25.47

-16.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.08 MX$18.82

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.30 £15.09

$4.35 MX$76.0

366.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.41

$16.99 MX$297

-33.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.32

$1.73 MX$30.31

80.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.12

$3.58 MX$62.5

-20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 £2.97

$0.39 MX$6.77

925.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.54 £35.34

$18.69 MX$327

154.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 £3.01

$1.33 MX$23.18

203.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 £0.55

$0.28 MX$4.89

164.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.03 £11.92

$5.25 MX$91.8

205.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.41

$1.34 MX$23.37

41.04%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

96.49%

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

$36.6K £27.2K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

53.55%

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

$322 £239

$40.69 MX$712

690.46%

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

$23.18 £17.23

$26.87 MX$470

-13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.47 £30.83

$30.51 MX$534

35.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.77 £28.82

$52.8 MX$923

-26.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.47 £10.01

$26.65 MX$466

-49.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.49 £10.03

$6.51 MX$114

107.22%

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

$1,633 £1,214

$428 MX$7,485

281.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K £10.2K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

30.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 £65.3

$57.3 MX$1,001

53.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 £38.25

$45.50 MX$796

13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 £95.2

$104 MX$1,819

23.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £95.7

$108 MX$1,885

19.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 £992

$1,003 MX$17.5K

32.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 £810

$623 MX$10.9K

74.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 £1,552

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 £1,272

$1,218 MX$21.3K

40.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 £2,862

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 £2,474

$2,033 MX$35.5K

63.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 £3,034

$1,038 MX$18.1K

293.32%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,334 in Chester versus $1,003 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 293% 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 $95.0 in Chester versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Chester vs $292 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 63% 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 $3,561 per month in Chester and $2,185 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 $1,633 per month in Chester and $428 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 7% 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 $1,456, than in Chester at $2,374. 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 $1,456 versus $2,374 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.