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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,626 in Bålsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,567 in Bålsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,507 in Bålsta.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than in Bålsta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Bålsta 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$14.20 SEK 136

-14.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$68.1 SEK 652

-23.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.12 SEK 87.3

19.52%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$4.32 SEK 41.34

-6.25%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$2.79 SEK 26.66

-38.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$2.29 SEK 21.90

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$7.26 SEK 69.4

-52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$7.36 SEK 70.4

-21.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.55 SEK 14.83

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.05 SEK 19.62

57.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$3.70 SEK 35.43

-43.51%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$3.81 SEK 36.41

-23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$11.69 SEK 112

6.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$12.50 SEK 120

-19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$11.46 SEK 110

38.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.69 SEK 25.74

23.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$2.80 SEK 26.79

-23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$2.15 SEK 20.54

1.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$2.97 SEK 28.38

-17.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$1.54 SEK 14.75

42.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$1.28 SEK 12.24

48.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.62 SEK 15.50

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$1.07 SEK 10.24

26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$7.27 SEK 69.6

-25.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$10.58 SEK 101

66.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.55 SEK 14.84

33.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.08 SEK 19.86

128.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$3.47 SEK 33.16

-90.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$80.2 SEK 767

-73.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$6.04 SEK 57.8

-66.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.60 SEK 15.34

-63.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$83.0 SEK 794

-92.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.84 SEK 17.65

-11.96%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$35.4K SEK 338.5K

-35.53%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$34.3K SEK 327.9K

-22.22%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$53.6 SEK 513

21.67%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$21.09 SEK 202

41.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$41.49 SEK 397

-11.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$39.72 SEK 380

53.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$26.61 SEK 255

0.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$13.50 SEK 129

-49.26%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$127 SEK 1,213

257.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$5,225 SEK 50.0K

155.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$73.2 SEK 700

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$10.59 SEK 101

422.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$84.1 SEK 804

35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$115 SEK 1,103

6.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$856 SEK 8,185

32.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$626 SEK 5,992

13.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,390 SEK 13.3K

84.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,066 SEK 10.2K

23.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$4,199 SEK 40.2K

-4.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$2,939 SEK 28.1K

-28.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$4,069 SEK 38.9K

-74.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

276.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $856 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 289% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $68.0 in Bålsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $311, with Bålsta cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 289% lower in Bålsta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $856 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,646 per month in Mexico City versus $1,626 in Bålsta – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 272% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,626 in Bålsta versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,626 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.