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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,696 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,660 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,099 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,565 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,502 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,470 in Mexico City, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 62% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edinburgh and Mexico City sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 97%, Mexico City by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.27 £18.14

$11.92 MX$206

103.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.7

$51.6 MX$890

109.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.15

$11.41 MX$197

-4.38%

Cappuccino

$5.13 £3.83

$3.99 MX$68.9

28.57%

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

$2.39 £1.79

$1.66 MX$28.61

43.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 £1.65

$1.33 MX$22.87

66.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 £6.13

$3.47 MX$59.9

136.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 £5.97

$5.90 MX$102

35.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.88 MX$32.36

-4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 £1.81

$3.25 MX$56.1

-25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.71

$2.16 MX$37.26

5.56%

Eggs

$5.02 £3.76

$2.90 MX$49.94

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.18

$12.86 MX$222

-25.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 £7.17

$10.05 MX$173

-4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 £11.77

$15.86 MX$273

-0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.32

$3.29 MX$56.8

-5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.38

$2.01 MX$34.60

-8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 £2.48

$2.20 MX$37.93

50.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.64

$2.36 MX$40.63

49.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 £1.55

$2.05 MX$35.43

0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.90 MX$32.79

-20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.98

$1.61 MX$27.68

-18.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 £1.44

$1.40 MX$24.09

37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.51 £17.57

$5.46 MX$94.2

330.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 £8.24

$17.65 MX$304

-37.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.34

$2.06 MX$35.44

51.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.49

$4.68 MX$80.8

-28.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 £2.20

$0.34 MX$5.84

764.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 £72.4

$20.81 MX$359

365.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 £3.99

$2.10 MX$36.15

154.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 £1.38

$0.56 MX$9.64

230.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.78 £21.51

$5.81 MX$100

395.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.61 MX$27.68

28.57%

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

$38.8K £29.0K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

69.74%

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

$40.7K £30.4K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

51.97%

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

$335 £250

$65.2 MX$1,124

413.81%

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

$16.42 £12.27

$30.09 MX$519

-45.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.73 £31.93

$37.18 MX$641

14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.98 £34.36

$59.8 MX$1,030

-23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 £17.70

$26.55 MX$458

-10.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 £10.99

$7.04 MX$121

108.95%

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

$1,843 £1,377

$465 MX$8,012

296.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K £19.5K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

96.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 £63.7

$75.9 MX$1,308

12.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 £38.08

$56.0 MX$965

-8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.8

$112 MX$1,929

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.9

$121 MX$2,078

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 £1,202

$1,103 MX$19.0K

45.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 £916

$721 MX$12.4K

70.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 £2,139

$2,530 MX$43.6K

13.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 £1,616

$1,293 MX$22.3K

67.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,804 £5,085

$3,991 MX$68.8K

70.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,688 £3,504

$2,090 MX$36.0K

124.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,512 £2,624

$1,037 MX$17.9K

238.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.78

11.3

-57.70%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Edinburgh versus $1,103 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 239% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $108 in Edinburgh versus $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Edinburgh vs $345 in Mexico City – so Edinburgh 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

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

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 62%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,043 per month in Edinburgh and $2,489 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Edinburgh and $52.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,696 in Edinburgh and $1,660 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,660, than in Edinburgh at $2,696. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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