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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Mexico City vs $2,540 in Birmingham, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Mexico City vs $3,769 in Birmingham, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,470 per month in Mexico City vs $4,998 in Birmingham, rent included.

Mexico City is about 35% cheaper than Birmingham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Birmingham sit above the global median – Mexico City by 21%, Birmingham by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$20.23 £15.12

-41.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$104 £77.7

-50.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$9.30 £6.95

22.69%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$5.22 £3.90

-23.56%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.63 £1.96

-36.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.87 £1.40

-28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$7.45 £5.56

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$6.78 £5.07

-12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.92 £1.43

-2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.83 £1.37

77.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.55 £1.90

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.80 £2.84

-23.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$11.60 £8.67

10.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.48 £7.08

6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$15.22 £11.38

4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.54 £1.90

29.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.97 £1.47

2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.42 £1.81

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$3.63 £2.71

-34.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.62 £1.21

26.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.85 £1.38

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.40 £1.04

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.64 £1.22

-14.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$22.81 £17.05

-76.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$12.06 £9.02

46.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$3.75 £2.80

-45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.43 £2.56

36.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$4.16 £3.11

-91.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$95.7 £71.5

-78.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$5.08 £3.80

-58.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$2.50 £1.87

-77.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$24.10 £18.01

-75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.14 £1.60

-24.77%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$39.4K £29.5K

-42.09%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$42.0K £31.4K

-36.29%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$323 £242

-79.83%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$21.90 £16.36

37.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$49.08 £36.67

-24.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$35.95 £26.86

66.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$30.97 £23.15

-14.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$16.38 £12.24

-57.02%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$1,662 £1,242

-72.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$24.7K £18.4K

-46.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$110 £82.0

-30.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$50.8 £37.92

10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$119 £88.7

-5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$149 £112

-19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$1,420 £1,061

-22.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$1,128 £843

-36.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$2,315 £1,730

9.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$1,690 £1,263

-23.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$5,415 £4,047

-26.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$4,290 £3,206

-51.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$4,570 £3,415

-77.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.09

122.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Birmingham: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,103 in Mexico City versus $1,420 in Birmingham. 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 341% higher in Birmingham, 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 $52.0 in Mexico City versus $104 in Birmingham. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Mexico City vs $327 in Birmingham – so Birmingham 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City, $2,540 in Birmingham – roughly 53% apart. Birmingham costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,489 per month in Mexico City and $3,810 in Birmingham. 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 $465 per month in Mexico City and $1,662 in Birmingham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Birmingham – 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 $1,660, than in Birmingham at $2,540. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,660 in Mexico City to $2,540 in Birmingham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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