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: $2,206 in Heerlen versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,482 in Heerlen versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,757 in Heerlen versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Heerlen is roughly 34% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 61% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €19.89

$12.11 MX$204

90.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 €75.5

$52.2 MX$881

67.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.83

$10.90 MX$184

26.15%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.32

$4.05 MX$68.4

-4.69%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$1.72 MX$28.95

83.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.38 MX$23.25

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.47

$3.47 MX$58.5

49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 €4.05

$5.81 MX$98.1

-19.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.85 MX$31.28

-27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.15

$3.22 MX$54.4

-22.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.09 MX$35.20

23.92%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.58

$2.91 MX$49.10

42.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 €10.27

$12.49 MX$211

-4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.70 €12.65

$10.11 MX$171

45.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 €16.01

$15.89 MX$268

17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.31 MX$56.0

-25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.13 MX$35.90

15.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.19 MX$36.97

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €3.86

$2.45 MX$41.31

82.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.19 MX$36.95

-11.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.90 MX$32.15

13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.62 MX$27.26

-12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.35 MX$22.78

-39.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.68 €12.63

$5.43 MX$91.6

170.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 €6.25

$17.59 MX$297

-58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.07 MX$34.90

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$4.75 MX$80.1

-44.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.31

$0.34 MX$5.74

1032.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 €54.5

$21.58 MX$364

193.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 €5.47

$2.04 MX$34.44

211.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$0.58 MX$9.75

206.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.42 €20.15

$5.97 MX$101

292.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.62 MX$27.27

42.59%

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

$30.3K €26.1K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

32.95%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$26.7K MX$450.0K

35.80%

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

$193 €166

$65.2 MX$1,101

196.52%

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

$27.47 €23.64

$29.87 MX$504

-8.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.08

$36.55 MX$617

43.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 €31.53

$61.0 MX$1,030

-39.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 €24.67

$26.70 MX$451

7.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.82

$6.85 MX$116

100.44%

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

$694 €597

$453 MX$7,652

53.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,684 €4,891

$13.4K MX$225.7K

-57.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.5

$75.0 MX$1,265

37.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 €44.81

$55.3 MX$933

-5.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 €83.3

$114 MX$1,917

-14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 €164

$123 MX$2,070

55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 €916

$1,134 MX$19.1K

-6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €790

$712 MX$12.0K

28.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 €1,689

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,430

$1,311 MX$22.1K

26.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,099 €3,527

$3,993 MX$67.4K

2.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,931 €2,522

$2,095 MX$35.4K

39.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,326 €2,862

$1,047 MX$17.7K

217.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

11.3

-61.50%

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

Last update for Heerlen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Heerlen and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 218% 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: $88.0 in Heerlen vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $345, with Heerlen 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 34% 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.

Average pay runs 218% higher in Heerlen, 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: $1,064 in Heerlen versus $1,134 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 193% less than in Heerlen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $694 in Heerlen versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,206 in Heerlen, a $3,000 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 $1,646 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 34% less than in Heerlen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.