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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,272 in Lincoln versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,373 in Lincoln versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,474 in Lincoln versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln 70% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.39 £20.39

$13.07 MX$228

109.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 £55.8

$53.8 MX$936

39.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.67

$9.68 MX$169

6.51%

Cappuccino

$5.36 £3.99

$3.74 MX$65.1

43.32%

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

$2.32 £1.72

$1.62 MX$28.13

43.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.16 MX$20.23

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.96

$3.23 MX$56.2

106.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 £5.11

$4.74 MX$82.5

44.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.65 MX$28.68

-14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.75 MX$47.95

-48.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.87 MX$32.63

-26.74%

Eggs

$3.44 £2.56

$2.50 MX$43.54

37.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 £6.84

$10.20 MX$178

-9.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.82 £6.56

$8.25 MX$144

6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 £8.85

$11.82 MX$206

0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 £2.72

$3.01 MX$52.4

21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.81 MX$31.54

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.14

$2.00 MX$34.81

43.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 £2.31

$2.00 MX$34.74

55.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 £0.67

$2.08 MX$36.30

-56.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$2.27 MX$39.56

-27.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.46 MX$25.36

-18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.07

$1.08 MX$18.74

32.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.99 £14.14

$4.35 MX$75.7

336.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 £7.85

$16.99 MX$296

-37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 £2.85

$1.73 MX$30.18

120.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.47

$3.58 MX$62.3

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 £3.23

$0.39 MX$6.74

1010.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 £65.4

$18.69 MX$325

370.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 £3.05

$1.33 MX$23.08

207.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.28 MX$4.87

446.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.20 £35.14

$5.25 MX$91.5

799.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.34 MX$23.27

40.30%

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

$33.3K £24.8K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

71.52%

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

$40.5K £30.2K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

70.04%

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

$321 £239

$40.69 MX$709

688.06%

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

$15.57 £11.59

$26.87 MX$468

-42.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.91 £34.18

$30.51 MX$531

50.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 £31.94

$52.8 MX$919

-18.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.84 £14.03

$26.65 MX$464

-29.31%

Cinema Ticket

$16.61 £12.36

$6.51 MX$113

155.15%

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

$1,863 £1,387

$428 MX$7,454

335.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K £15.7K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

100.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 £82.0

$57.3 MX$997

92.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.73 £32.55

$45.50 MX$792

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 £58.8

$104 MX$1,812

-24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 £73.0

$108 MX$1,878

-9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 £812

$1,003 MX$17.5K

8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 £660

$623 MX$10.8K

42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 £1,463

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-6.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 £1,103

$1,218 MX$21.2K

21.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,522 £1,878

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-35.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,207 £2,387

$1,038 MX$18.1K

208.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

11.34

-50.97%

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

Last update for Lincoln: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Lincoln and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln pays 209% 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: $75.0 in Lincoln vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $292, with Lincoln cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Lincoln and Mexico City differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,272 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 209% higher in Lincoln, 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: $1,090 in Lincoln versus $1,003 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 $75.0 in Lincoln. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,272 per month in Lincoln versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,272 in Lincoln, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Lincoln. 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, Lincoln 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 Lincoln. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.