Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,359 in London, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,359
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in London and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in London versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

  • London $2,359
  • Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,355 in London versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

  • London $3,355
  • Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,351 in London versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

  • London $4,351
  • Mexico City $3,323

Living in London is roughly 52% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 74% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.18 CA$29.94
$11.02 MX$204
92.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.1 CA$89.2
$48.68 MX$900
29.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.23 CA$17.29
$10.90 MX$201
12.20%
Cappuccino
$3.67 CA$5.19
$3.68 MX$68.1
-0.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 CA$3.08
$1.63 MX$30.18
33.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 CA$3.08
$1.25 MX$23.07
74.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.55 CA$9.27
$3.25 MX$60.1
101.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.28 CA$8.88
$5.53 MX$102
13.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.98 CA$2.79
$1.70 MX$31.50
16.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.69 CA$3.80
$3.02 MX$55.8
-10.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.53
$1.92 MX$35.53
103.65%
Eggs
$3.67 CA$5.19
$2.73 MX$50.5
34.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.16 CA$14.37
$11.77 MX$218
-13.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.60 CA$16.40
$9.53 MX$176
21.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.91 CA$21.08
$14.41 MX$266
3.47%
Apples (1kg)
$4.35 CA$6.15
$3.02 MX$55.8
44.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 CA$1.76
$1.89 MX$35.01
-34.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.75 CA$5.30
$1.99 MX$36.70
88.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.02 CA$5.69
$2.19 MX$40.38
83.56%
Potato (1kg)
$3.05 CA$4.31
$1.92 MX$35.43
58.85%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 CA$4.29
$1.87 MX$34.49
62.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.55 CA$3.61
$1.44 MX$26.62
77.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 CA$2.15
$1.27 MX$23.39
19.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.81 CA$16.70
$5.22 MX$96.4
126.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.91 CA$18.25
$16.17 MX$299
-20.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 CA$3.46
$1.90 MX$35.03
28.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 CA$4.01
$4.22 MX$78.0
-32.70%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$0.34 MX$6.30
567.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$79.4 CA$112
$19.65 MX$363
304.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.53 CA$3.57
$2.00 MX$36.90
26.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 CA$2.42
$0.52 MX$9.67
228.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.96 CA$31.05
$5.34 MX$98.7
311.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.76
$1.52 MX$28.13
-18.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K CA$38.2K
$22.1K MX$408.0K
22.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K CA$32.2K
$24.5K MX$452.9K
-7.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$139 CA$197
$61.1 MX$1,129
127.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.70 CA$56.1
$28.58 MX$528
38.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 CA$80.5
$34.47 MX$637
65.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.60 CA$53.2
$56.4 MX$1,042
-33.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.03 CA$41.04
$24.88 MX$460
16.68%
Cinema Ticket
$10.48 CA$14.82
$6.66 MX$123
57.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$410 CA$580
$427 MX$7,891
-3.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K CA$28.6K
$11.6K MX$215.0K
74.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.0 CA$75.0
$67.8 MX$1,253
-21.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.23 CA$55.5
$52.0 MX$960
-24.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.1 CA$115
$106 MX$1,959
-23.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.7 CA$127
$113 MX$2,080
-20.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 CA$1,834
$1,025 MX$18.9K
26.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 CA$1,656
$654 MX$12.1K
79.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,066 CA$2,920
$2,308 MX$42.7K
-10.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,682 CA$2,378
$1,242 MX$22.9K
35.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,510 CA$4,962
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-2.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,683 CA$5,207
$1,936 MX$35.8K
90.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,092 CA$4,371
$964 MX$17.8K
220.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.72
11.3
-58.23%

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

Last update for London: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$1.2K
Mexico City
$654 44.2% $517
Groceries & Markets
London
$362
Mexico City
$318 12.1% $44
Eating Out
London
$313
Mexico City
$204 34.8% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$236
Mexico City
$124 47.3% $112
Clothing & Footwear
London
$118
Mexico City
$152 28.6% $34
Getting Around
London
$100
Mexico City
$26 74.3% $74
Sport & Entertainment
London
$59
Mexico City
$70 19% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in London and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 221% 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: $63.0 in London vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 London
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
19:54 7:54 PM
17:54 5:54 PM
2 h behind London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
383,822
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Mexico City 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
London vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mexico City cheaper than London?
Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: London or Mexico City?
Average pay runs 221% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between London and Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,297 in London versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in London and in Mexico City?
All in, you'll spend $2,359 per month in London versus $1,548 in Mexico City – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 304% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in London or in Mexico City?
At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,359 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is London or Mexico City more family-friendly?
For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, London or Mexico City?
Safety-wise, London 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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