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: $2,259 in Heerlen versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,485 in Heerlen versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,712 in Heerlen versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Heerlen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 69% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.95 €20.08

$13.07 MX$229

75.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €74.6

$53.8 MX$943

58.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 €12.02

$9.68 MX$170

41.94%

Cappuccino

$3.97 €3.47

$3.74 MX$65.6

6.15%

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

$2.94 €2.57

$1.62 MX$28.34

81.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.16 MX$20.37

81.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 €5.56

$3.23 MX$56.6

96.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.27

$4.74 MX$83.1

-21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 MX$28.89

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.20

$2.75 MX$48.30

-8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.54

$1.87 MX$32.87

55.08%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.51

$2.50 MX$43.86

60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 €10.47

$10.20 MX$179

17.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 €12.91

$8.25 MX$145

78.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 €15.31

$11.82 MX$207

48.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$3.01 MX$52.8

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$1.81 MX$31.77

37.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.00 MX$35.07

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 €3.85

$2.00 MX$35.00

120.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.08 MX$36.56

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.27 MX$39.85

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.46 MX$25.55

-11.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.08 MX$18.88

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.35 €12.55

$4.35 MX$76.3

229.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 €6.04

$16.99 MX$298

-59.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.73 MX$30.40

-17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.58 MX$62.7

-23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.34

$0.39 MX$6.79

876.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 €74.7

$18.69 MX$328

356.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 €6.40

$1.33 MX$23.25

449.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.20

$0.28 MX$4.91

800.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €51.2

$5.25 MX$92.1

1014.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.34 MX$23.44

67.91%

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

$30.0K €26.2K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

54.52%

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

$29.4K €25.7K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

23.45%

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

$209 €183

$40.69 MX$714

413.79%

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

$28.92 €25.30

$26.87 MX$471

7.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €46.30

$30.51 MX$535

73.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 €31.57

$52.8 MX$926

-31.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.88 €25.26

$26.65 MX$467

8.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €12.07

$6.51 MX$114

111.98%

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

$1,073 €939

$428 MX$7,508

150.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.2K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

10.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €92.1

$57.3 MX$1,004

83.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 €45.79

$45.50 MX$798

15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 €85.2

$104 MX$1,825

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €138

$108 MX$1,891

45.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 €898

$1,003 MX$17.6K

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 €790

$623 MX$10.9K

45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 €1,740

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-5.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 €1,456

$1,218 MX$21.4K

36.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,019 €3,517

$3,885 MX$68.1K

3.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,800 €2,450

$2,033 MX$35.7K

37.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 €2,821

$1,038 MX$18.2K

210.69%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Heerlen and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 211% 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: $85.0 in Heerlen vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $292 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 55% 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 211% 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: $1,026 in Heerlen versus $1,003 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 357% 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 $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,259 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 $1,456 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 55% less than in Heerlen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.