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: $2,470 in Harstad versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Harstad versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Harstad versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Harstad is roughly 67% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 85% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 NOK 130

$13.16 MX$229

3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,156

$53.6 MX$934

125.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 NOK 146

$9.55 MX$167

59.69%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 59.4

$3.72 MX$64.9

66.94%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.61

$1.57 MX$27.33

130.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 NOK 29.83

$1.16 MX$20.16

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$3.18 MX$55.5

245.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.23 NOK 108

$4.63 MX$80.8

142.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.41

$1.71 MX$29.74

43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.58

$2.62 MX$45.63

25.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.88

$1.89 MX$32.93

59.79%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.66

$2.60 MX$45.26

59.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 NOK 100

$9.91 MX$173

5.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$8.22 MX$143

87.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.05 NOK 355

$11.78 MX$205

214.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 NOK 38.80

$3.00 MX$52.2

35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.51

$1.80 MX$31.38

47.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.77

$2.07 MX$36.16

70.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 44.48

$1.97 MX$34.30

136.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.70

$2.07 MX$36.13

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.93

$2.17 MX$37.92

-8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 NOK 25.57

$1.40 MX$24.46

90.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.85

$1.07 MX$18.74

64.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 143

$4.12 MX$71.8

262.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 NOK 152

$17.42 MX$304

-9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.29

$1.68 MX$29.22

107.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.96

$3.65 MX$63.6

28.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 NOK 58.5

$0.38 MX$6.63

1507.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 759

$18.71 MX$326

324.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.53 NOK 120

$1.33 MX$23.18

842.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.42

$0.30 MX$5.28

366.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 486

$5.51 MX$96.1

822.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.50

$1.31 MX$22.76

63.36%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

$19.2K MX$334.2K

73.90%

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

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

$23.7K MX$414.1K

28.00%

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

$162 NOK 1,552

$41.14 MX$717

294.12%

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

$32.24 NOK 309

$27.74 MX$484

16.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 734

$30.13 MX$525

154.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.64 NOK 466

$53.7 MX$937

-9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 NOK 339

$25.98 MX$453

36.18%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$6.49 MX$113

158.55%

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

$334 NOK 3,194

$437 MX$7,614

-23.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

$10.5K MX$182.3K

-50.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 NOK 718

$58.3 MX$1,017

28.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 NOK 318

$45.86 MX$800

-27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,131

$101 MX$1,769

16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NOK 1,303

$107 MX$1,858

27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

$1,005 MX$17.5K

29.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,627

$634 MX$11.0K

58.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

$2,148 MX$37.5K

1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

$1,247 MX$21.7K

17.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

$3,859 MX$67.3K

50.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

$2,085 MX$36.3K

90.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

$1,072 MX$18.7K

214.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

11.34

-62.35%

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

Last update for Harstad: July 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Harstad and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 214% 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: $121 in Harstad vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $291 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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 214% 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: $1,298 in Harstad versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% 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 $54.0 versus $121 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $2,470 in Harstad, a $2,000 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 67% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.