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 $1,448 per month in Mexico City vs $2,455 in Birmingham, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,354 per month in Mexico City vs $3,490 in Birmingham, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Mexico City vs $4,526 in Birmingham, rent included.

Mexico City is about 41% cheaper than Birmingham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Mexico City and Birmingham sit above the global median – Mexico City by 9%, Birmingham by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$20.55 £15.31

-36.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$83.1 £61.9

-37.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$9.78 £7.28

-0.92%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$4.65 £3.46

-19.35%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$2.44 £1.82

-36.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$1.73 £1.29

-32.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$6.98 £5.20

-53.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$6.03 £4.49

-18.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.72 £1.28

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.65 £1.23

61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$2.64 £1.96

-28.41%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$3.74 £2.78

-32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$10.25 £7.64

-2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$7.99 £5.95

6.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$14.27 £10.63

-16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.58 £1.92

15.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.87 £1.39

-4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.05 £1.53

-2.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$2.74 £2.04

-28.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.66 £1.24

30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.42 £1.05

59.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.46 £1.08

-4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$1.30 £0.97

-14.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$19.06 £14.19

-77.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$11.90 £8.86

38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$3.42 £2.55

-50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$4.08 £3.04

-12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$3.38 £2.52

-88.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$83.2 £61.9

-76.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$6.99 £5.21

-80.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$1.37 £1.02

-78.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$22.83 £17.00

-76.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.92 £1.43

-32.81%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$38.3K £28.5K

-50.60%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$39.1K £29.1K

-39.16%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$300 £224

-86.73%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$23.60 £17.58

17.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$39.19 £29.19

-24.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$32.27 £24.03

61.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$10.16 £7.57

158.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$18.04 £13.44

-65.24%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$1,606 £1,196

-73.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$18.9K £14.1K

-44.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$99.0 £73.7

-42.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$48.89 £36.42

-7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$119 £88.7

-14.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$140 £105

-22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$1,343 £1,000

-25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$1,096 £817

-43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$2,333 £1,738

-10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$1,618 £1,205

-22.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$5,491 £4,090

-28.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$4,249 £3,165

-50.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$3,975 £2,961

-71.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.76

96.88%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Birmingham: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Mexico City versus $1,343 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 251% 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 $83.0 in Birmingham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $297 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,448 in Mexico City, $2,455 in Birmingham – roughly 69% apart. Birmingham costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,173 per month in Mexico City and $3,682 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 $433 per month in Mexico City and $1,606 in Birmingham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Birmingham, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,448, than in Birmingham at $2,455. 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 $1,448 in Mexico City to $2,455 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.