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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,275 in Lerwick versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,421 in Lerwick versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,566 in Lerwick versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 53% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lerwick 69% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.30

$13.29 MX$230

55.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 £60.6

$53.8 MX$931

52.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 £7.45

$9.29 MX$161

8.50%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.53

$3.61 MX$62.5

32.41%

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

$2.35 £1.74

$1.56 MX$26.97

50.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.12 MX$19.42

48.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 £4.49

$3.13 MX$54.1

93.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.61

$4.71 MX$81.5

32.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.70 MX$29.48

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.77 MX$47.92

-40.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.96 MX$33.97

11.22%

Eggs

$3.84 £2.84

$2.60 MX$45.11

47.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.18

$9.94 MX$172

-2.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 £6.45

$8.10 MX$140

7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.59

$11.50 MX$199

24.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.27

$2.87 MX$49.72

6.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.73 MX$30.00

-6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 £2.17

$2.00 MX$34.65

47.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.54

$2.04 MX$35.30

68.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$2.08 MX$36.06

-22.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.20 MX$38.03

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.78

$1.45 MX$25.18

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.07 MX$18.59

37.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.92 £13.98

$4.27 MX$74.0

343.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.91

$14.32 MX$248

-25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.07

$1.76 MX$30.55

59.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.36

$3.70 MX$64.1

-13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$0.35 MX$6.11

888.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.2

$19.19 MX$332

359.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 £4.05

$1.34 MX$23.13

308.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.28 MX$4.82

464.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 £16.97

$5.33 MX$92.4

330.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.34 MX$23.22

46.27%

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

$37.9K £28.0K

$19.1K MX$331.2K

98.04%

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

$41.3K £30.5K

$23.9K MX$413.6K

72.98%

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

$301 £222

$39.86 MX$690

654.11%

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

$17.12 £12.65

$26.78 MX$464

-36.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.41 £32.08

$29.36 MX$509

47.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.43 £34.31

$53.4 MX$925

-13.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$452

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 £9.96

$6.40 MX$111

110.47%

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

$1,600 £1,182

$440 MX$7,629

263.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.5K

$10.8K MX$186.2K

69.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 £60.9

$57.6 MX$998

43.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 £32.73

$45.02 MX$780

-1.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 £67.5

$104 MX$1,797

-11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £71.8

$108 MX$1,870

-9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £891

$1,013 MX$17.5K

19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 £729

$630 MX$10.9K

56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 £1,524

$2,162 MX$37.4K

-4.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,236

$1,222 MX$21.2K

36.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.6K

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 Lerwick: April 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Lerwick and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Lerwick vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $285 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,413 in Lerwick and $2,226 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,206 in Lerwick versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,275 per month in Lerwick versus $1,484 in Mexico City – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 360% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,275 in Lerwick, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lerwick 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 53% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.