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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,311 in Kirkwall versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Kirkwall versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,441 in Kirkwall versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Kirkwall is roughly 56% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkwall 73% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 £18.92

$13.16 MX$229

92.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 £60.0

$53.6 MX$932

49.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 £7.41

$9.55 MX$166

3.77%

Cappuccino

$4.03 £3.01

$3.72 MX$64.8

8.33%

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

$2.30 £1.72

$1.57 MX$27.28

46.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.21

$1.16 MX$20.12

38.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 £4.21

$3.18 MX$55.4

77.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 £4.76

$4.63 MX$80.6

37.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.71 MX$29.67

-6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.62 MX$45.54

-37.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.71

$1.89 MX$32.87

20.63%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.98

$2.60 MX$45.17

53.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.18

$9.91 MX$172

-3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$8.22 MX$143

10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.58

$11.78 MX$205

20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.34

$3.00 MX$52.1

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.80 MX$31.32

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 £2.07

$2.07 MX$36.08

34.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.68

$1.97 MX$34.23

81.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$2.07 MX$36.05

-21.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.17 MX$37.84

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 £0.83

$1.40 MX$24.41

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.07 MX$18.70

42.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.13 £14.30

$4.12 MX$71.7

364.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.45

$17.42 MX$303

-35.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.12

$1.68 MX$29.16

68.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.32

$3.65 MX$63.5

-15.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 £2.51

$0.38 MX$6.62

784.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 £66.8

$18.71 MX$326

377.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.95

$1.33 MX$23.13

297.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 £1.20

$0.30 MX$5.27

436.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.94 £17.15

$5.51 MX$95.9

316.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.31 MX$22.72

48.09%

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

$38.6K £28.8K

$19.2K MX$333.5K

101.14%

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

$40.4K £30.2K

$23.7K MX$413.3K

70.23%

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

$292 £218

$41.14 MX$716

609.43%

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

$16.90 £12.63

$27.74 MX$483

-39.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.81 £32.00

$30.13 MX$524

42.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.72 £19.23

$53.7 MX$935

-52.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 £10.13

$6.49 MX$113

108.78%

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

$1,598 £1,195

$437 MX$7,598

266.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.9K

$10.5K MX$182.0K

78.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 £61.7

$58.3 MX$1,015

41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.68 £32.66

$45.86 MX$798

-4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.8

$101 MX$1,765

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 £73.9

$107 MX$1,854

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £921

$1,005 MX$17.5K

22.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 £758

$634 MX$11.0K

60.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,551

$2,148 MX$37.4K

-3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 £1,281

$1,247 MX$21.7K

37.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,027 £3,758

$3,859 MX$67.2K

30.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,940 £1,450

$1,072 MX$18.7K

80.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.34

-50.35%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: July 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,232 in Kirkwall and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 81% 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: $80.0 in Kirkwall vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $291 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

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

Kirkwall and Mexico City differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,311 vs $1,481 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% higher in Kirkwall, 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: $1,232 in Kirkwall versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $80.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,311 per month in Kirkwall versus $1,481 in Mexico City – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $2,311 in Kirkwall, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Kirkwall. 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.

Safety-wise, Kirkwall 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 56% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.