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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,972 in Livingston versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,136 in Livingston versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Livingston versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Livingston is roughly 19% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Livingston 44% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 £15.23

$11.92 MX$205

70.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100.0 £74.9

$51.6 MX$886

93.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 £8.18

$11.41 MX$196

-4.29%

Cappuccino

$5.31 £3.97

$3.99 MX$68.6

33.08%

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

$2.71 £2.03

$1.66 MX$28.48

63.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.82

$1.33 MX$22.77

82.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 £5.18

$3.47 MX$59.6

99.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.17

$5.90 MX$101

16.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 £1.10

$1.88 MX$32.21

-22.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.43

$3.25 MX$55.9

-40.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 £1.72

$2.16 MX$37.10

6.48%

Eggs

$3.66 £2.74

$2.90 MX$49.72

26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 £6.97

$12.86 MX$221

-27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 £6.86

$10.05 MX$173

-8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 £11.17

$15.86 MX$272

-5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$3.29 MX$56.6

-7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$2.01 MX$34.44

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.11

$2.20 MX$37.76

28.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 £2.74

$2.36 MX$40.44

55.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.24

$2.05 MX$35.27

-19.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.90 MX$32.64

-23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.61 MX$27.55

-27.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.40 MX$23.98

12.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.46 £16.81

$5.46 MX$93.8

311.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 £7.94

$17.65 MX$303

-39.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.32

$2.06 MX$35.28

50.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.45

$4.68 MX$80.4

-30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 £4.09

$2.10 MX$35.99

160.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 £1.23

$0.56 MX$9.60

194.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.53 £21.36

$5.81 MX$99.8

391.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.59

$1.61 MX$27.56

32.30%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$22.8K MX$392.1K

70.32%

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

$41.7K £31.3K

$26.8K MX$459.2K

56.05%

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

$335 £251

$65.2 MX$1,119

414.30%

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

$16.74 £12.54

$30.09 MX$517

-44.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.86 £31.34

$37.18 MX$638

12.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$10.85 £8.12

$7.04 MX$121

54.12%

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

$1,227 £918

$465 MX$7,976

164.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K £13.3K

$13.3K MX$227.8K

33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 £70.7

$75.9 MX$1,303

24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 £36.10

$56.0 MX$960

-13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £82.0

$112 MX$1,920

-2.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 £72.2

$121 MX$2,068

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 £655

$1,103 MX$18.9K

-20.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 £575

$721 MX$12.4K

6.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,918 £1,436

$2,530 MX$43.4K

-24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 £1,156

$1,293 MX$22.2K

19.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,088 £3,061

$1,037 MX$17.8K

294.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.3

-54.42%

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

Last update for Livingston: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $875 in Livingston and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Livingston pays 294% 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: $100 in Livingston vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $345, with Livingston 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Livingston. 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 294% higher in Livingston, 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: $875 in Livingston versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Livingston pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,972 per month in Livingston versus $1,660 in Mexico City – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,972 in Livingston, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Livingston. 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 $1,660 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Livingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.