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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,225 in Luanda versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,301 in Luanda versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,377 in Luanda versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 16% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Luanda is 8% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 AOA 5,425

$13.07 MX$228

-54.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.08 AOA 43.9K

$53.8 MX$936

-10.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 AOA 6,979

$9.68 MX$169

-20.97%

Cappuccino

$3.54 AOA 3,229

$3.74 MX$65.1

-5.35%

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

$1.65 AOA 1,508

$1.62 MX$28.13

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 AOA 971

$1.16 MX$20.23

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 AOA 1,391

$3.23 MX$56.2

-52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 AOA 1,632

$4.74 MX$82.5

-62.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AOA 1,742

$1.65 MX$28.68

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 AOA 1,104

$2.75 MX$47.95

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 AOA 1,266

$1.87 MX$32.63

-25.67%

Eggs

$2.22 AOA 2,025

$2.50 MX$43.54

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 AOA 11.5K

$10.20 MX$178

23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 AOA 5,560

$8.25 MX$144

-26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 AOA 9,253

$11.82 MX$206

-14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AOA 2,374

$3.01 MX$52.4

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 AOA 968

$1.81 MX$31.54

-41.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 AOA 2,849

$2.00 MX$34.81

56.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 AOA 1,870

$2.00 MX$34.74

2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 AOA 1,605

$2.08 MX$36.30

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 AOA 1,392

$2.27 MX$39.56

-32.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 AOA 1,827

$1.46 MX$25.36

36.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 AOA 391

$1.08 MX$18.74

-60.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 AOA 2,141

$4.35 MX$75.7

-45.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 AOA 5,348

$16.99 MX$296

-65.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 AOA 545

$1.73 MX$30.18

-65.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 AOA 1,189

$3.58 MX$62.3

-63.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 AOA 335

$0.39 MX$6.74

-5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.07 AOA 30.2K

$18.69 MX$325

76.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 AOA 1,111

$1.33 MX$23.08

-8.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 AOA 794

$0.28 MX$4.87

210.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 AOA 5,575

$5.25 MX$91.5

16.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 AOA 349

$1.34 MX$23.27

-71.64%

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

$20.0K AOA 18.2M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

2.95%

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

$28.4K AOA 25.9M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

19.28%

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

$97.7 AOA 89.1K

$40.69 MX$709

139.99%

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

$20.52 AOA 18.7K

$26.87 MX$468

-23.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$133 AOA 121.1K

$30.51 MX$531

334.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.50 AOA 39.7K

$52.8 MX$919

-17.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.35 AOA 13.1K

$26.65 MX$464

-46.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 AOA 4,086

$6.51 MX$113

-31.18%

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

$689 AOA 628.9K

$428 MX$7,454

61.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K AOA 13.5M

$10.5K MX$182.8K

40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 AOA 90.7K

$57.3 MX$997

73.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.5 AOA 71.7K

$45.50 MX$792

72.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 AOA 119.5K

$104 MX$1,812

25.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$250 AOA 227.8K

$108 MX$1,878

131.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 AOA 484.7K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 AOA 262.8K

$623 MX$10.8K

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,345 AOA 2.1M

$2,109 MX$36.7K

11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 AOA 1.2M

$1,218 MX$21.2K

11.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K AOA 11.0M

$3,885 MX$67.6K

210.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$860 AOA 784.8K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 AOA 1.3M

$1,038 MX$18.1K

32.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

111.64%

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

Last update for Luanda: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Luanda and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Luanda vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $292 per month, with Luanda 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

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

Luanda and Mexico City differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,225 vs $1,456 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Luanda, 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: $531 in Luanda 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 Luanda runs roughly 77% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $689 in Luanda versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Luanda versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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