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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,943 in Bristol.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $4,242 in Bristol.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $5,541 in Bristol.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 44% less than in Bristol, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Bristol 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$24.49 £18.30

-51.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$113 £84.4

-54.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$10.96 £8.19

4.11%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$5.12 £3.83

-22.07%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.66 £1.99

-37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.78 £1.33

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$8.04 £6.01

-56.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$6.93 £5.18

-14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.52 £1.13

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.72 £1.29

88.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.02 £1.51

6.93%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$4.44 £3.32

-34.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$8.48 £6.34

51.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.90 £7.39

1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$13.08 £9.78

21.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$3.22 £2.41

2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.77 £1.33

13.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.66 £1.98

-17.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.05 £3.02

-41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.16 £1.61

-5.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.53 £1.14

24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.28 £0.96

25.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$2.10 £1.57

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$23.51 £17.57

-76.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$10.95 £8.18

61.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.80 £2.09

-26.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.52 £2.63

32.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$3.31 £2.47

-89.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$122 £91.3

-82.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$3.42 £2.55

-38.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.70 £1.27

-67.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$27.47 £20.53

-78.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.13 £1.59

-24.41%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$38.6K £28.9K

-40.84%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$41.1K £30.7K

-34.99%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$329 £246

-80.20%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$16.93 £12.66

77.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$39.55 £29.56

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$48.79 £36.46

22.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$11.89 £8.88

123.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$14.42 £10.78

-51.18%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$2,266 £1,693

-79.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$25.4K £19.0K

-47.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$104 £77.7

-27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$50.1 £37.44

11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$109 £81.1

3.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$101 £75.4

19.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$1,968 £1,470

-43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$1,497 £1,119

-51.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$3,144 £2,349

-19.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$2,299 £1,718

-43.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$7,065 £5,280

-43.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$5,318 £3,974

-60.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$3,872 £2,894

-73.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.87

132.03%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bristol: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $1,968 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 273% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $113 in Bristol. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $313, with Bristol 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 Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Bristol differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $2,943 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 273% lower in Bristol. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $1,968 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bristol pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $113 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,943 in Bristol, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Bristol. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bristol 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.