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 $2,767 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,467 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,371 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,361 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,274 in Mexico City, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 89% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Edinburgh and Mexico City sit above the global median – Edinburgh by 106%, Mexico City by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.44

$13.18 MX$228

57.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.1

$53.9 MX$934

92.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.41

$9.42 MX$163

5.63%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.97

$3.55 MX$61.5

49.86%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$1.62 MX$28.03

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.11 MX$19.31

81.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.69

$3.12 MX$54.1

144.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.16

$4.63 MX$80.2

49.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.70 MX$29.48

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.72 MX$47.10

-36.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.91 MX$33.13

14.14%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.26

$2.54 MX$43.94

72.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.88

$10.03 MX$174

18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.63

$8.09 MX$140

26.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.06

$11.62 MX$201

62.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.97 MX$51.4

8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.81 MX$31.30

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.09

$2.01 MX$34.88

105.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.53

$2.03 MX$35.26

133.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$2.12 MX$36.82

-14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$2.27 MX$39.32

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.40 MX$24.26

-17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.13 MX$19.59

17.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.05

$4.27 MX$74.0

373.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

$15.56 MX$270

-26.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.76 MX$30.44

42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$3.60 MX$62.3

-9.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$0.38 MX$6.64

594.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$19.18 MX$332

366.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$1.38 MX$23.84

304.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$0.28 MX$4.79

1025.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.85

$5.45 MX$94.4

684.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.30 MX$22.60

50.00%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

104.65%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

67.87%

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

$381 £284

$40.86 MX$708

832.43%

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

$17.32 £12.90

$26.81 MX$465

-35.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.09

$29.96 MX$519

48.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.59

$52.0 MX$901

4.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.26

$26.84 MX$465

-8.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.97

$6.30 MX$109

133.81%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$436 MX$7,558

345.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.0K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

131.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.1

$56.7 MX$982

108.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.42

$44.38 MX$769

25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.6

$103 MX$1,784

13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.6

$106 MX$1,829

19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,231

$1,022 MX$17.7K

61.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £895

$631 MX$10.9K

90.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,281

$2,136 MX$37.0K

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,615

$1,243 MX$21.5K

74.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,928

$3,903 MX$67.6K

69.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,627

$2,064 MX$35.8K

135.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,725

$1,115 MX$19.3K

228.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.34

-50.35%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Edinburgh 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 228% 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 $104 in Edinburgh versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $288 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 89%, 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 $4,150 per month in Edinburgh 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh and $54.0 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 $2,767 in Edinburgh and $1,467 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,467, than in Edinburgh at $2,767. 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.