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: $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Longyearbyen versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,853 in Longyearbyen versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 49% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 63% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.54 NOK 191

$13.18 MX$228

55.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 947

$53.9 MX$932

89.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.80 NOK 128

$9.42 MX$163

46.50%

Cappuccino

$6.14 NOK 57.0

$3.55 MX$61.4

72.96%

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

$3.64 NOK 33.80

$1.62 MX$27.98

124.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 35.85

$1.11 MX$19.27

247.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 NOK 68.1

$3.12 MX$54.0

134.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.56 NOK 88.8

$4.63 MX$80.1

106.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 NOK 27.96

$1.70 MX$29.43

77.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.44

$2.72 MX$47.02

24.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.53

$1.91 MX$33.07

66.49%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 45.55

$2.54 MX$43.86

92.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 NOK 99.2

$10.03 MX$174

6.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.80 NOK 137

$8.09 MX$140

82.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.22 NOK 262

$11.62 MX$201

142.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.89

$2.97 MX$51.3

12.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.45

$1.81 MX$31.24

69.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.48

$2.01 MX$34.82

57.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 42.73

$2.03 MX$35.20

126.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 29.82

$2.12 MX$36.75

51.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.70

$2.27 MX$39.25

55.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NOK 17.28

$1.40 MX$24.22

32.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 NOK 6.11

$1.13 MX$19.55

-41.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 NOK 138

$4.27 MX$73.9

249.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 NOK 141

$15.56 MX$269

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.31

$1.76 MX$30.39

85.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.09

$3.60 MX$62.2

13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 40.59

$0.38 MX$6.62

1050.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 NOK 690

$19.18 MX$332

287.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 93.1

$1.38 MX$23.79

626.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 NOK 9.45

$0.28 MX$4.78

264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.43 NOK 431

$5.45 MX$94.2

751.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.42

$1.30 MX$22.55

60.77%

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

$35.2K NOK 327.2K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

88.50%

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

$38.8K NOK 360.4K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

67.72%

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

$75.3 NOK 699

$40.86 MX$707

84.17%

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

$38.77 NOK 360

$26.81 MX$464

44.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.58 NOK 461

$29.96 MX$518

65.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 466

$52.0 MX$900

-3.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 NOK 330

$26.84 MX$464

32.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 NOK 112

$6.30 MX$109

91.43%

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

$279 NOK 2,595

$436 MX$7,544

-35.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,997 NOK 92.9K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-4.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NOK 877

$56.7 MX$980

66.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 NOK 488

$44.38 MX$768

18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,018

$103 MX$1,780

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,400

$106 MX$1,825

42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 NOK 6,506

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-31.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 NOK 8,214

$631 MX$10.9K

40.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NOK 14.5K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

25.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,164 NOK 57.3K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

57.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.3K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

115.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,954 NOK 27.4K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

164.89%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $700 in Longyearbyen and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 165% 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: $102 in Longyearbyen vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $288 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 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Longyearbyen pays 165% more on average, 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: $700 in Longyearbyen versus $1,022 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 287% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $279 in Longyearbyen versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,184 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 49% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.