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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,639 in Hastings versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Hastings versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,442 in Hastings versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Hastings is roughly 80% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hastings 97% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 £15.31

$13.18 MX$228

56.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.5

$53.9 MX$932

45.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 £8.49

$9.42 MX$163

21.34%

Cappuccino

$4.48 £3.33

$3.55 MX$61.4

26.20%

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

$2.67 £1.99

$1.62 MX$27.98

64.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$1.11 MX$19.27

20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 £5.15

$3.12 MX$54.0

122.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 £4.98

$4.63 MX$80.1

44.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 £0.53

$1.70 MX$29.43

-58.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 £1.06

$2.72 MX$47.02

-47.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.91 MX$33.07

46.60%

Eggs

$3.34 £2.48

$2.54 MX$43.86

31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £6.99

$10.03 MX$174

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 £6.90

$8.09 MX$140

14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 £9.92

$11.62 MX$201

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 £1.72

$2.97 MX$51.3

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.81 MX$31.24

-11.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.01 MX$34.82

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.68

$2.03 MX$35.20

77.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$2.12 MX$36.75

-14.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.27 MX$39.25

-46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.40 MX$24.22

-29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.71

$1.13 MX$19.55

103.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.70 £13.16

$4.27 MX$73.9

314.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 £5.06

$15.56 MX$269

-56.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$1.76 MX$30.39

66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$3.60 MX$62.2

-6.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$0.38 MX$6.62

605.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 £66.6

$19.18 MX$332

366.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.80

$1.38 MX$23.79

271.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.24

$0.28 MX$4.78

496.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 £29.74

$5.45 MX$94.2

634.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.30 MX$22.55

49.23%

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

$20.4K £15.1K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

8.96%

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

$33.1K £24.6K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

43.11%

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

$334 £248

$40.86 MX$707

716.91%

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

$18.87 £14.02

$26.81 MX$464

-29.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 £19.98

$29.96 MX$518

-10.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.31 £34.42

$52.0 MX$900

-10.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.76 £35.50

$26.84 MX$464

77.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 £9.19

$6.30 MX$109

96.35%

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

$1,552 £1,154

$436 MX$7,544

255.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

74.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 £60.6

$56.7 MX$980

43.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.86 £30.37

$44.38 MX$768

-7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £88.4

$103 MX$1,780

15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 £110

$106 MX$1,825

40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 £1,093

$1,022 MX$17.7K

43.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 £970

$631 MX$10.9K

106.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 £1,520

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 £1,129

$1,243 MX$21.5K

22.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K £10.2K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

249.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 £2,560

$1,115 MX$19.3K

208.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

11.34

-50.44%

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

Last update for Hastings: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Hastings and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hastings pays 209% 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: $79.0 in Hastings vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $288, with Hastings cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Hastings and Mexico City differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,639 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hastings pays 209% 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: $1,470 in Hastings versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,639 per month in Hastings versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 367% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,639 in Hastings, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Hastings. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.