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: $2,422 in Harstad versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Harstad is roughly 65% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 81% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$13.18 MX$230

2.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$53.9 MX$941

121.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$9.42 MX$165

62.74%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$3.55 MX$62.0

70.42%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$1.62 MX$28.25

112.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$1.11 MX$19.46

169.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$3.12 MX$54.5

259.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$4.63 MX$80.9

144.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$1.70 MX$29.71

36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$2.72 MX$47.47

15.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$1.91 MX$33.39

57.07%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$2.54 MX$44.29

64.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$10.03 MX$175

5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$8.09 MX$141

84.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$11.62 MX$203

219.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$2.97 MX$51.8

36.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$1.81 MX$31.55

48.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$2.01 MX$35.16

72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$2.03 MX$35.54

130.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$2.12 MX$37.10

-6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$2.27 MX$39.63

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$1.40 MX$24.45

97.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$1.13 MX$19.74

58.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$4.27 MX$74.6

256.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$15.56 MX$272

2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$1.76 MX$30.68

102.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$3.60 MX$62.8

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$0.38 MX$6.69

1465.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$19.18 MX$335

324.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$1.38 MX$24.03

803.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$0.28 MX$4.83

414.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$5.45 MX$95.1

841.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$1.30 MX$22.77

62.31%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$18.7K MX$326.4K

79.93%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$23.1K MX$404.0K

33.37%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$40.86 MX$714

290.68%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$26.81 MX$468

23.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$29.96 MX$523

157.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$52.0 MX$908

-4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$26.84 MX$469

34.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$6.30 MX$110

169.68%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$436 MX$7,617

-24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$10.4K MX$181.9K

-50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$56.7 MX$989

36.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$44.38 MX$775

-24.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$103 MX$1,798

14.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$106 MX$1,843

27.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$1,022 MX$17.8K

30.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$631 MX$11.0K

59.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,136 MX$37.3K

3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$1,243 MX$21.7K

20.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$3,903 MX$68.2K

53.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$2,064 MX$36.1K

119.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$1,115 MX$19.5K

221.13%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 221% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $288 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 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 221% more on average, 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $1,022 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 $119 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,422 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 65% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.