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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Durham versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Durham versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Durham versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Durham is roughly 41% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 56% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 £14.44

$13.14 MX$229

46.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.6

$53.5 MX$934

78.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 £7.65

$9.33 MX$163

9.65%

Cappuccino

$4.40 £3.29

$3.70 MX$64.5

18.92%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$1.60 MX$27.98

54.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.12 MX$19.49

79.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.67

$3.14 MX$54.7

98.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.17

$4.85 MX$84.5

15.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.65 MX$28.84

8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.71 MX$47.34

-36.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$1.91 MX$33.29

28.27%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.08

$2.59 MX$45.17

59.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 £6.94

$9.81 MX$171

-5.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 £6.24

$8.43 MX$147

-0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 £7.20

$11.93 MX$208

-19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 £2.76

$2.95 MX$51.5

25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$1.74 MX$30.35

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 £2.50

$2.04 MX$35.66

63.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 £2.61

$2.06 MX$35.93

69.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.86

$2.15 MX$37.49

-46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$2.26 MX$39.33

-30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.39 MX$24.17

-28.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.12 MX$19.47

54.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.90 £17.13

$4.22 MX$73.6

442.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.10

$17.51 MX$305

-38.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.33

$1.71 MX$29.82

82.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.24

$3.63 MX$63.4

-17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 £2.48

$0.35 MX$6.15

845.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 £41.06

$19.32 MX$337

184.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 £3.65

$1.38 MX$24.00

252.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 £1.15

$0.28 MX$4.81

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 £17.26

$5.28 MX$92.0

336.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.36 MX$23.69

47.06%

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

$36.6K £27.4K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

91.53%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

63.94%

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

$273 £204

$40.53 MX$707

573.55%

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

$15.76 £11.79

$27.38 MX$478

-42.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 £25.92

$30.38 MX$530

14.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.74 £37.21

$52.2 MX$911

-4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.63

$6.19 MX$108

107.92%

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

$1,578 £1,180

$425 MX$7,414

271.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.9K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

73.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £79.5

$58.3 MX$1,017

82.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 £44.83

$44.57 MX$777

34.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £93.3

$103 MX$1,805

20.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 £66.3

$109 MX$1,897

-18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 £1,106

$1,014 MX$17.7K

45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 £614

$623 MX$10.9K

31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 £1,922

$2,119 MX$37.0K

21.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 £938

$1,223 MX$21.3K

2.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,054 £3,781

$3,792 MX$66.1K

33.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,841 £2,874

$2,110 MX$36.8K

82.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,061 £1,542

$1,052 MX$18.4K

95.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

11.34

-51.94%

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

Last update for Durham: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,478 in Durham and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 96% 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: $96.0 in Durham vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $293 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

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

Durham and Mexico City differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,071 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Durham, 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: $1,478 in Durham versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,071 per month in Durham versus $1,472 in Mexico City – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 184% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,071 in Durham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Durham. 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, Durham 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 41% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.