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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,965 in Leiden versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,152 in Leiden versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,339 in Leiden versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Leiden is roughly 80% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leiden 116% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.62 €17.78

$12.11 MX$206

70.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.6

$52.2 MX$887

78.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.15

$10.90 MX$185

29.17%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.46

$4.05 MX$68.9

-0.74%

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

$3.65 €3.15

$1.72 MX$29.15

112.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.64

$1.38 MX$23.41

121.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 €7.07

$3.47 MX$58.9

136.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.41

$5.81 MX$98.8

-11.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.85 MX$31.50

-30.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.95

$3.22 MX$54.8

-29.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 €2.90

$2.09 MX$35.44

60.77%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.26

$2.91 MX$49.44

69.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.97

$12.49 MX$212

20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 €12.91

$10.11 MX$172

48.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 €14.14

$15.89 MX$270

3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$3.31 MX$56.3

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.13 MX$36.14

13.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.19 MX$37.22

-10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 €4.32

$2.45 MX$41.59

104.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$2.19 MX$37.20

-14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.90 MX$32.37

4.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.62 MX$27.45

-12.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.35 MX$22.94

-45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 €11.84

$5.43 MX$92.2

152.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 €6.27

$17.59 MX$299

-58.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.07 MX$35.14

-25.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.32

$4.75 MX$80.7

-43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.57

$0.34 MX$5.78

773.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €117

$21.58 MX$367

528.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 €3.02

$2.04 MX$34.67

71.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.53 €3.05

$0.58 MX$9.82

508.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.01 €19.84

$5.97 MX$101

285.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.62 MX$27.46

51.85%

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

$42.3K €36.5K

$22.8K MX$387.6K

85.56%

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

$41.2K €35.5K

$26.7K MX$453.1K

54.45%

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

$291 €251

$65.2 MX$1,109

346.05%

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

$16.35 €14.10

$29.87 MX$508

-45.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 €45.28

$36.55 MX$621

43.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 €39.65

$61.0 MX$1,037

-24.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.94 €10.29

$26.70 MX$454

-55.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 €12.80

$6.85 MX$116

116.64%

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

$1,793 €1,546

$453 MX$7,705

295.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.8K

$13.4K MX$227.2K

2.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €103

$75.0 MX$1,274

59.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.78 €42.08

$55.3 MX$940

-11.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €106

$114 MX$1,931

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €123

$123 MX$2,084

16.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 €1,556

$1,134 MX$19.3K

59.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 €1,229

$712 MX$12.1K

100.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,552 €2,201

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 €1,751

$1,311 MX$22.3K

54.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,790 €6,719

$3,993 MX$67.8K

95.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,904 €5,092

$2,095 MX$35.6K

181.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,282 €3,693

$1,047 MX$17.8K

308.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

11.3

-75.22%

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

Last update for Leiden: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Leiden and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leiden pays 309% 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: $93.0 in Leiden vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $345 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Leiden. 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 309% higher in Leiden, 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: $1,805 in Leiden versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Leiden. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $93.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,965 in Leiden, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Leiden. 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, Leiden 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 80% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.