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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Ilford vs $1,484 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,022 per month in Ilford vs $2,381 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,039 per month in Ilford vs $3,278 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ilford costs about 103% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Ilford and Mexico City sit above the global median – Ilford by 124%, Mexico City by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 £15.27

$12.98 MX$226

58.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.6 £64.8

$53.1 MX$923

64.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 £8.09

$9.72 MX$169

12.45%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.60

$3.75 MX$65.2

29.60%

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

$1.51 £1.12

$1.57 MX$27.30

-3.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 £0.80

$1.13 MX$19.64

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 £4.11

$3.18 MX$55.3

74.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 £4.47

$4.66 MX$81.1

29.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.62 MX$28.21

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.71 MX$47.09

-46.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 £1.58

$1.88 MX$32.70

13.30%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.75

$2.51 MX$43.65

47.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 £6.27

$10.08 MX$175

-15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 £6.02

$8.29 MX$144

-1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 £9.71

$11.94 MX$208

9.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.42

$2.86 MX$49.77

14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.75 MX$30.45

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.15

$2.08 MX$36.27

39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$1.97 MX$34.27

43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$2.16 MX$37.58

-19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.18 MX$37.94

-29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.39 MX$24.20

-6.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.12 MX$19.57

23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.67 £15.29

$4.20 MX$73.1

392.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 £7.00

$14.25 MX$248

-33.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.11

$1.76 MX$30.68

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.85

$3.68 MX$64.1

-32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.55

$0.39 MX$6.71

784.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.3

$18.66 MX$325

372.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 £4.41

$1.39 MX$24.12

328.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.61

$0.30 MX$5.29

623.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 £21.60

$5.42 MX$94.3

438.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.35 MX$23.50

40.00%

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

$38.3K £28.4K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

102.94%

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

$39.2K £29.0K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

69.43%

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

$323 £239

$40.82 MX$710

691.60%

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

$16.03 £11.86

$27.50 MX$479

-41.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.22 £26.06

$30.38 MX$529

15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.01 £20.72

$53.4 MX$930

-47.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$20.52 £15.19

$6.27 MX$109

227.27%

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

$1,896 £1,403

$436 MX$7,588

334.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.5K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

113.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.8

$56.8 MX$988

80.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 £30.60

$44.79 MX$779

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 £65.0

$103 MX$1,789

-14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.2

$108 MX$1,878

-5.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 £1,061

$1,000 MX$17.4K

43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 £1,312

$620 MX$10.8K

185.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 £2,271

$2,137 MX$37.2K

43.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 £1,608

$1,235 MX$21.5K

75.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 £2,680

$1,067 MX$18.6K

239.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

11.34

-51.94%

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

Last update for Ilford: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,434 in Ilford versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 239% higher in Ilford, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Ilford versus $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Ilford vs $286 in Mexico City – so Ilford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Ilford costs about 103% more than Mexico City, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,507 per month in Ilford and $2,225 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Ilford – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Ilford and $53.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,484, than in Ilford at $3,005. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,484 versus $3,005 in Ilford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ilford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.