Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Barnet

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,941 in Barnet, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Barnet
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,941
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Barnet

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Barnet actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $2,941 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Barnet $2,941

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $4,337 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Barnet $4,337

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $5,732 in Barnet, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Barnet $5,732

Mexico City is about 47% cheaper than Barnet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Barnet sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Barnet by 117%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$23.54 £17.66
-53.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$92.0 £69.0
-47.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$10.76 £8.07
1.30%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$5.76 £4.32
-36.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$2.89 £2.17
-43.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$1.93 £1.45
-35.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$7.99 £6.00
-59.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$6.56 £4.92
-15.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.64 £1.23
3.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.79 £1.34
68.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$2.52 £1.89
-23.81%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$4.82 £3.61
-43.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$11.56 £8.67
1.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$10.61 £7.96
-10.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$17.26 £12.95
-16.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$3.03 £2.27
-0.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.76 £1.32
7.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$3.05 £2.29
-34.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$3.46 £2.60
-36.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.82 £1.36
5.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.83 £1.37
2.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.24 £0.93
16.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$1.80 £1.35
-29.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$24.04 £18.04
-78.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$12.00 £9.00
34.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$3.21 £2.41
-40.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$4.53 £3.40
-6.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$2.29 £1.72
-85.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$5.57 £4.18
-64.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$2.63 £1.97
-80.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$50.1 £37.56
-89.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$2.07 £1.56
-26.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$38.8K £29.1K
-43.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$41.1K £30.8K
-40.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$338 £253
-81.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$18.82 £14.12
51.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$40.52 £30.40
-14.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$17.19 £12.90
-61.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$2,564 £1,924
-83.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$35.2K £26.4K
-66.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$90.1 £67.6
-24.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$46.56 £34.93
11.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$92.0 £69.0
15.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$129 £96.6
-12.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$1,984 £1,488
-48.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$1,616 £1,213
-59.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$3,261 £2,446
-29.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$2,847 £2,136
-56.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$14.2K £10.7K
-74.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$14.4K £10.8K
-86.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Barnet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$2,685 £2,015
-64.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
4.74
138.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Barnet: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Barnet
$1.6K 147% $962
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Barnet
$343 7.9% $25
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Barnet
$362 77.6% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Barnet
$161 5.7% $8.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Barnet
$397 220% $273
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Barnet
$34 * 50.7% $35
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Barnet
$28 * 8.7% $2.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,984 in Barnet. 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 179% higher in Barnet, 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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $92.0 in Barnet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $343 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇬🇧 Barnet
🕒 Local time
23:03 11:03 PM
06:03 6:03 AM
7 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
111,973
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Barnet 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Barnet

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Barnet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barnet cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Barnet is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $4,412 in Barnet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Barnet?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $92.0 in Barnet. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Barnet?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Barnet, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Barnet?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Barnet at $2,941. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barnet it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mexico City or Barnet more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barnet makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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