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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Harstad versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,908 in Harstad versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Harstad versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Harstad is roughly 58% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 92% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 NOK 134

$11.92 MX$206

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,027

$51.6 MX$890

111.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$11.41 MX$197

41.72%

Cappuccino

$6.56 NOK 61.9

$3.99 MX$68.9

64.41%

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

$3.84 NOK 36.18

$1.66 MX$28.61

131.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.98

$1.33 MX$22.87

139.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.72 NOK 120

$3.47 MX$59.9

266.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.91 NOK 131

$5.90 MX$102

135.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 24.32

$1.88 MX$32.36

37.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 NOK 32.77

$3.25 MX$56.1

7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.06

$2.16 MX$37.26

52.78%

Eggs

$4.58 NOK 43.18

$2.90 MX$49.94

57.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 NOK 105

$12.86 MX$222

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 NOK 142

$10.05 MX$173

50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.47 NOK 400

$15.86 MX$273

167.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 NOK 39.94

$3.29 MX$56.8

28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.73

$2.01 MX$34.60

46.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 NOK 35.95

$2.20 MX$37.93

73.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 45.12

$2.36 MX$40.63

102.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.37

$2.05 MX$35.43

5.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.48

$1.90 MX$32.79

14.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.50

$1.61 MX$27.68

87.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.71

$1.40 MX$24.09

72.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.82 NOK 158

$5.46 MX$94.2

208.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 NOK 149

$17.65 MX$304

-10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 NOK 38.03

$2.06 MX$35.44

96.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 NOK 46.97

$4.68 MX$80.8

6.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.22 NOK 58.6

$0.34 MX$5.84

1729.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 NOK 796

$20.81 MX$359

305.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.02 NOK 151

$2.10 MX$36.15

662.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.32

$0.56 MX$9.64

228.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 NOK 536

$5.81 MX$100

879.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.20

$1.61 MX$27.68

39.75%

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

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

64.61%

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

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

19.58%

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

$168 NOK 1,582

$65.2 MX$1,124

157.55%

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

$34.80 NOK 328

$30.09 MX$519

15.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 771

$37.18 MX$641

120.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NOK 482

$59.8 MX$1,030

-14.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.78 NOK 356

$26.55 MX$458

42.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 NOK 165

$7.04 MX$121

149.29%

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

$246 NOK 2,319

$465 MX$8,012

-47.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-59.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NOK 647

$75.9 MX$1,308

-9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 NOK 339

$56.0 MX$965

-35.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,170

$112 MX$1,929

10.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,580

$121 MX$2,078

39.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

$1,103 MX$19.0K

25.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

$721 MX$12.4K

51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-8.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

18.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

55.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

97.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

247.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-55.75%

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

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Harstad and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 248% 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: $109 in Harstad vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $520 vs $345 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 248% higher in Harstad, 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: $1,387 in Harstad versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Harstad. 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 $109 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,626 in Harstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Harstad. 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 Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad 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 58% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.