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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,398 in Galway versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,790 in Galway versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,181 in Galway versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Galway is roughly 102% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galway 148% above, Mexico City 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.73 €19.44

$11.83 MX$200

92.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 €100

$52.2 MX$884

124.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.40 €14.88

$10.87 MX$184

60.07%

Cappuccino

$5.15 €4.41

$4.03 MX$68.2

27.79%

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

$3.06 €2.61

$1.71 MX$28.99

78.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.02

$1.34 MX$22.70

76.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 €6.75

$3.39 MX$57.5

133.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 €6.10

$5.74 MX$97.3

24.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.89 MX$31.99

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.17 MX$53.8

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.05 MX$34.74

9.27%

Eggs

$4.62 €3.95

$3.01 MX$51.1

53.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.53 €15.00

$12.61 MX$214

39.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 €9.55

$9.94 MX$169

12.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.00

$16.00 MX$271

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.61

$3.28 MX$55.6

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.92

$2.06 MX$34.87

9.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.65

$2.09 MX$35.36

48.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 €3.63

$2.50 MX$42.44

69.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.05 MX$34.76

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.87 MX$31.70

-14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.57 MX$26.66

-15.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.39 MX$23.64

42.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.90 €17.87

$5.38 MX$91.2

288.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 €12.19

$17.95 MX$304

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.47

$2.02 MX$34.31

100.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.06

$4.76 MX$80.7

-0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 €1.91

$0.36 MX$6.13

519.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 €55.1

$20.80 MX$353

209.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.69

$2.06 MX$34.92

166.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.25

$0.56 MX$9.55

162.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.8 €49.44

$5.82 MX$98.6

893.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.54 MX$26.05

37.01%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

76.58%

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

$38.8K €33.2K

$26.5K MX$448.7K

46.68%

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

$255 €218

$66.0 MX$1,118

285.95%

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

$23.46 €20.06

$30.98 MX$525

-24.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 €45.49

$36.20 MX$613

46.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.99 €39.34

$57.5 MX$975

-20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 €20.11

$26.75 MX$453

-12.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 €14.76

$7.13 MX$121

142.08%

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

$1,050 €898

$457 MX$7,738

129.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$75.8 MX$1,285

38.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.31 €42.18

$54.1 MX$917

-8.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.0

$116 MX$1,974

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.3

$122 MX$2,063

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,334 €1,997

$1,147 MX$19.4K

103.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 €1,688

$726 MX$12.3K

171.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,812 €3,261

$2,503 MX$42.4K

52.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,781 €2,379

$1,331 MX$22.6K

108.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,187 €5,292

$3,895 MX$66.0K

58.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,791 €4,098

$2,149 MX$36.4K

122.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,183 €2,723

$1,069 MX$18.1K

197.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

11.35

-67.58%

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

Last update for Galway: August 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,334 in Galway and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 198% 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: $117 in Galway vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $344 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 198% higher in Galway, 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: $2,334 in Galway versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $117 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $3,398 in Galway, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Galway. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Galway, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway 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 102% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.