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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,257 in Heerlen versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Heerlen versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,661 in Heerlen versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Heerlen is roughly 54% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 68% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.24 €19.99

$13.18 MX$228

76.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.4 €74.3

$53.9 MX$932

60.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$9.42 MX$163

50.00%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.25

$3.55 MX$61.4

6.48%

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

$2.84 €2.44

$1.62 MX$27.98

75.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.11 MX$19.27

85.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 €5.39

$3.12 MX$54.0

100.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.33

$4.63 MX$80.1

-16.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.70 MX$29.43

-28.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.72 MX$47.02

-8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$1.91 MX$33.07

53.40%

Eggs

$4.00 €3.44

$2.54 MX$43.86

57.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 €10.22

$10.03 MX$174

18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.48 €12.46

$8.09 MX$140

78.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 €15.06

$11.62 MX$201

50.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.97 MX$51.3

-21.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.81 MX$31.24

39.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.01 MX$34.82

-0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 €3.87

$2.03 MX$35.20

121.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.12 MX$36.75

-5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.27 MX$39.25

-8.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.40 MX$24.22

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$1.13 MX$19.55

-30.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.13

$4.27 MX$73.9

230.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.05

$15.56 MX$269

-54.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.76 MX$30.39

-15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.60 MX$62.2

-26.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.27

$0.38 MX$6.62

900.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 €75.1

$19.18 MX$332

354.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 €6.58

$1.38 MX$23.79

454.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.17

$0.28 MX$4.78

800.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.4 €49.37

$5.45 MX$94.2

953.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.30 MX$22.55

74.62%

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

$30.4K €26.2K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

62.74%

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

$30.0K €25.8K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

29.88%

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

$212 €183

$40.86 MX$707

419.48%

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

$29.59 €25.45

$26.81 MX$464

10.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.06

$29.96 MX$518

74.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.96 €31.79

$52.0 MX$900

-28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.77 €24.75

$26.84 MX$464

7.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 €11.78

$6.30 MX$109

117.30%

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

$1,073 €923

$436 MX$7,544

146.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

12.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$56.7 MX$980

83.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 €45.68

$44.38 MX$768

19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €84.2

$103 MX$1,780

-4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €137

$106 MX$1,825

50.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €887

$1,022 MX$17.7K

0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 €767

$631 MX$10.9K

41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 €1,698

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 €1,445

$1,243 MX$21.5K

35.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 €3,489

$3,903 MX$67.5K

3.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,943 €2,531

$2,064 MX$35.7K

42.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 €2,871

$1,115 MX$19.3K

199.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

11.34

-61.90%

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

Last update for Heerlen: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,031 in Heerlen and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 199% 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: $86.0 in Heerlen vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Heerlen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Heerlen pays 199% 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: $1,031 in Heerlen versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 355% less than in Heerlen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,073 in Heerlen versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,257 in Heerlen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Heerlen. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Heerlen 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 54% less than in Heerlen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.