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: $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in Longyearbyen versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,679 in Longyearbyen versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 75% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 109% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 NOK 190

$12.11 MX$205

68.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,007

$52.2 MX$883

107.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.36 NOK 170

$10.90 MX$184

68.44%

Cappuccino

$7.09 NOK 65.9

$4.05 MX$68.5

75.06%

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

$6.03 NOK 56.0

$1.72 MX$29.00

250.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$1.38 MX$23.29

320.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 NOK 72.7

$3.47 MX$58.6

125.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.0

$5.81 MX$98.2

61.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.03

$1.85 MX$31.33

34.05%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 NOK 46.70

$3.22 MX$54.5

56.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 NOK 39.79

$2.09 MX$35.25

105.26%

Eggs

$5.09 NOK 47.23

$2.91 MX$49.18

74.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 NOK 133

$12.49 MX$211

14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.15 NOK 187

$10.11 MX$171

99.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.53 NOK 283

$15.89 MX$269

92.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 NOK 64.0

$3.31 MX$56.0

108.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.65

$2.13 MX$35.95

29.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.31 NOK 67.9

$2.19 MX$37.03

233.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 NOK 65.1

$2.45 MX$41.37

186.53%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 51.6

$2.19 MX$37.00

153.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.73 NOK 43.96

$1.90 MX$32.20

148.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.64 NOK 43.08

$1.62 MX$27.31

186.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.75

$1.35 MX$22.82

168.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.72 NOK 165

$5.43 MX$91.7

226.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 NOK 141

$17.59 MX$297

-13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 33.83

$2.07 MX$34.96

75.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 NOK 41.47

$4.75 MX$80.2

-5.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 NOK 47.15

$0.34 MX$5.75

1394.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 867

$21.58 MX$365

332.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NOK 88.7

$2.04 MX$34.49

368.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.27

$0.58 MX$9.77

220.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 NOK 603

$5.97 MX$101

987.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.31

$1.62 MX$27.31

35.19%

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

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

101.13%

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

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

88.90%

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

$266 NOK 2,473

$65.2 MX$1,103

308.23%

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

$33.06 NOK 307

$29.87 MX$505

10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 NOK 533

$36.55 MX$618

57.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 NOK 468

$61.0 MX$1,031

-17.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 NOK 342

$26.70 MX$451

38.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 166

$6.85 MX$116

161.17%

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

$267 NOK 2,477

$453 MX$7,664

-41.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-22.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 938

$75.0 MX$1,267

34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 524

$55.3 MX$935

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,170

$114 MX$1,920

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,478

$123 MX$2,073

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NOK 9,511

$712 MX$12.0K

43.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

31.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

63.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

101.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

182.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

11.3

-56.11%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,146 in Longyearbyen and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 182% 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: $108 in Longyearbyen vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $609 vs $345 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 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 182% 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: $1,146 in Longyearbyen versus $1,134 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 333% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $267 in Longyearbyen versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen, a $3,000 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 75% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.