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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,637 per month in Manchester vs $1,677 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,830 per month in Manchester vs $2,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,024 per month in Manchester vs $3,540 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manchester costs about 57% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Manchester and Mexico City sit above the global median – Manchester by 91%, Mexico City by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 £15.20

$12.14 MX$206

69.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 £69.5

$53.9 MX$914

74.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 £8.15

$11.09 MX$188

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.56

$4.10 MX$69.5

17.56%

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

$2.53 £1.87

$1.68 MX$28.53

50.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.39 MX$23.55

24.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 £6.05

$3.33 MX$56.5

145.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.05

$5.88 MX$99.7

16.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.85 MX$31.41

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 £1.36

$3.17 MX$53.8

-41.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 £1.42

$2.07 MX$35.13

-6.76%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.95

$2.93 MX$49.67

36.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 £7.04

$12.59 MX$214

-24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.62

$10.11 MX$172

-11.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.76 £11.65

$16.09 MX$273

-2.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.37

$3.39 MX$57.5

-5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.08 MX$35.26

-22.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.23

$2.12 MX$35.97

41.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.52

$2.41 MX$40.95

41.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$2.13 MX$36.11

-29.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 £0.98

$2.01 MX$34.02

-33.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.55 MX$26.21

-16.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.36 MX$23.15

-4.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.36 £18.01

$5.77 MX$97.8

322.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.04

$17.74 MX$301

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.82

$2.07 MX$35.11

18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.27

$4.61 MX$78.3

-33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.98

$0.37 MX$6.21

624.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £80.4

$21.18 MX$359

413.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 £3.43

$2.05 MX$34.84

126.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 £1.60

$0.58 MX$9.79

272.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 £22.46

$6.07 MX$103

400.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.55

$1.55 MX$26.34

34.84%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

72.74%

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

$41.6K £30.8K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

52.87%

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

$292 £216

$67.4 MX$1,144

333.87%

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

$16.65 £12.31

$30.62 MX$520

-45.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.66 £29.31

$37.24 MX$632

6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.15

$61.5 MX$1,043

-11.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 £13.94

$27.12 MX$460

-30.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 £10.00

$7.11 MX$121

90.44%

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

$1,309 £968

$456 MX$7,739

187.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K £14.8K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

45.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 £65.1

$74.2 MX$1,259

18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 £30.74

$57.0 MX$967

-27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 £70.5

$115 MX$1,958

-17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £78.7

$122 MX$2,061

-12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 £1,342

$1,148 MX$19.5K

58.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 £957

$709 MX$12.0K

82.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 £2,267

$2,577 MX$43.7K

19.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 £1,493

$1,295 MX$22.0K

55.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,729 £3,495

$4,005 MX$67.9K

18.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,465 £3,300

$2,130 MX$36.1K

109.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,446 £2,547

$1,082 MX$18.4K

218.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

11.3

-56.90%

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

Last update for Manchester: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,816 in Manchester versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 218% higher in Manchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Manchester versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Manchester vs $345 in Mexico City – so Manchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Manchester is pricier by about 57%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,955 per month in Manchester and $2,515 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,309 per month in Manchester and $456 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Manchester – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,677, than in Manchester at $2,637. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.