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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Longyearbyen versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Longyearbyen versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 55% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 69% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 NOK 195

$13.07 MX$229

55.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 968

$53.8 MX$940

87.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 129

$9.68 MX$169

38.74%

Cappuccino

$6.41 NOK 61.7

$3.74 MX$65.4

71.39%

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

$3.56 NOK 34.28

$1.62 MX$28.25

119.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NOK 36.50

$1.16 MX$20.31

226.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NOK 68.1

$3.23 MX$56.4

118.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 NOK 91.8

$4.74 MX$82.9

101.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 NOK 28.08

$1.65 MX$28.80

76.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 31.87

$2.75 MX$48.15

20.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.64

$1.87 MX$32.77

75.94%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 46.16

$2.50 MX$43.72

91.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 100

$10.20 MX$178

1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 142

$8.25 MX$144

78.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 NOK 274

$11.82 MX$207

140.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 30.35

$3.01 MX$52.6

4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.01

$1.81 MX$31.67

66.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 30.20

$2.00 MX$34.96

56.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.93

$2.00 MX$34.89

128.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.61

$2.08 MX$36.45

57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 32.13

$2.27 MX$39.72

47.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NOK 17.86

$1.46 MX$25.47

26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 NOK 5.91

$1.08 MX$18.82

-43.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 NOK 146

$4.35 MX$76.0

249.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 NOK 136

$16.99 MX$297

-16.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$1.73 MX$30.31

89.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.61

$3.58 MX$62.5

12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 41.95

$0.39 MX$6.77

1015.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NOK 718

$18.69 MX$327

298.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NOK 97.0

$1.33 MX$23.18

657.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 10.08

$0.28 MX$4.89

275.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.15 NOK 454

$5.25 MX$91.8

798.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.77

$1.34 MX$23.37

52.99%

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

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

84.10%

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

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

64.38%

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

$72.8 NOK 701

$40.69 MX$712

78.91%

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

$37.60 NOK 362

$26.87 MX$470

39.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NOK 466

$30.51 MX$534

58.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.55 NOK 477

$52.8 MX$923

-6.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 339

$26.65 MX$466

31.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 NOK 116

$6.51 MX$114

84.64%

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

$282 NOK 2,716

$428 MX$7,485

-34.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-1.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 921

$57.3 MX$1,001

66.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 NOK 499

$45.50 MX$796

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,043

$104 MX$1,819

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,489

$108 MX$1,885

43.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 NOK 6,760

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,685

$623 MX$10.9K

44.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

25.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

52.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

92.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

174.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

11.34

-61.38%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Longyearbyen and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 174% 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: $101 in Longyearbyen vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $292 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 174% higher in Longyearbyen, 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: $702 in Longyearbyen versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 299% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Longyearbyen versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,261 in Longyearbyen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. 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 Longyearbyen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Longyearbyen 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 55% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.