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: $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Luanda versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Luanda versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Luanda is 27% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 AOA 5,073

$12.14 MX$206

-54.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

$53.9 MX$913

-32.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 AOA 5,909

$11.09 MX$188

-41.66%

Cappuccino

$2.53 AOA 2,312

$4.10 MX$69.4

-38.29%

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

$1.34 AOA 1,227

$1.68 MX$28.49

-20.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 AOA 1,056

$1.39 MX$23.52

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 AOA 1,513

$3.33 MX$56.4

-50.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 AOA 1,519

$5.88 MX$99.6

-71.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 AOA 1,819

$1.85 MX$31.36

7.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 AOA 869

$3.17 MX$53.7

-70.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 AOA 1,466

$2.07 MX$35.08

-22.22%

Eggs

$1.88 AOA 1,714

$2.93 MX$49.60

-35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 AOA 8,450

$12.59 MX$213

-26.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 AOA 3,138

$10.11 MX$171

-65.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 AOA 6,861

$16.09 MX$273

-53.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AOA 2,058

$3.39 MX$57.4

-33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 AOA 926

$2.08 MX$35.21

-51.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 AOA 2,536

$2.12 MX$35.92

31.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 AOA 1,683

$2.41 MX$40.89

-23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 AOA 1,412

$2.13 MX$36.07

-27.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 AOA 1,441

$2.01 MX$33.97

-21.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 AOA 1,604

$1.55 MX$26.18

13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 AOA 315

$1.36 MX$23.12

-75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 AOA 1,481

$5.77 MX$97.7

-71.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 AOA 5,378

$17.74 MX$301

-66.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 AOA 412

$2.07 MX$35.07

-78.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 AOA 838

$4.61 MX$78.2

-80.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 AOA 310

$0.37 MX$6.20

-8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

$21.18 MX$359

55.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 AOA 1,027

$2.05 MX$34.79

-45.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 AOA 830

$0.58 MX$9.77

56.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 AOA 5,020

$6.07 MX$103

-9.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 AOA 292

$1.55 MX$26.30

-79.35%

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

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

$22.9K MX$387.5K

-38.09%

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

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

$27.2K MX$461.4K

-16.54%

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

$101 AOA 92.0K

$67.4 MX$1,142

49.59%

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

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

$30.62 MX$519

-41.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

$37.24 MX$631

113.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

$61.5 MX$1,041

-25.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

$27.12 MX$459

-42.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 AOA 3,259

$7.11 MX$120

-49.79%

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

$759 AOA 692.4K

$456 MX$7,728

66.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

$13.7K MX$232.0K

-2.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 AOA 99.4K

$74.2 MX$1,257

46.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

$57.0 MX$966

11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

$115 MX$1,955

-14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 AOA 183.3K

$122 MX$2,059

65.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 AOA 356.0K

$1,148 MX$19.4K

-66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 AOA 179.1K

$709 MX$12.0K

-72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 AOA 948.3K

$1,295 MX$21.9K

-19.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

$4,005 MX$67.9K

198.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 AOA 815.7K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-58.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

$1,082 MX$18.3K

30.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

85.84%

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

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Luanda and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Luanda vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $345 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,010 vs $1,677 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $390 in Luanda versus $1,148 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $759 in Luanda versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,677 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 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.