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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $2,244 in Colchester, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $3,408 in Colchester, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $4,571 in Colchester, rent included.

Mexico City is about 35% cheaper than Colchester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Mexico City and Colchester sit above the global median – Mexico City by 9%, Colchester by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$20.09 £14.95

-34.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$94.4 £70.3

-43.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$10.83 £8.07

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$4.78 £3.56

-21.76%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.52 £1.13

6.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.05 £0.78

10.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.82 £5.08

-52.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$6.21 £4.62

-23.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.63 £1.21

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.34 £1.00

105.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.67 £1.24

11.98%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.65 £2.72

-31.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.47 £6.31

20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$8.15 £6.07

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$13.15 £9.79

-10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.02 £2.25

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.26 £0.94

43.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.01 £2.24

-33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.64 £1.97

-24.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.25 £0.93

66.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.44 £1.07

57.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.31 £0.97

11.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.14 £0.85

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$18.33 £13.65

-76.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$10.84 £8.07

56.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.67 £1.99

-35.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.45 £1.82

46.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$3.46 £2.58

-88.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$78.4 £58.4

-76.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$5.98 £4.45

-77.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.49 £1.11

-81.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$24.28 £18.08

-78.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.96 £1.46

-31.63%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$38.2K £28.5K

-49.23%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$41.5K £30.9K

-42.58%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$248 £185

-83.59%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$14.36 £10.69

87.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$34.30 £25.54

-11.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$42.26 £31.46

24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$10.69 £7.96

149.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$18.88 £14.06

-65.52%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$1,357 £1,010

-68.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$23.0K £17.1K

-54.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$72.1 £53.7

-20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$31.76 £23.64

43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$89.4 £66.6

16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$101 £75.0

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$1,143 £851

-12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,023 £761

-39.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,647 £1,226

28.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,796 £1,337

-32.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$5,273 £3,926

-26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$3,600 £2,680

-43.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,871 £2,138

-63.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.45

108.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Colchester: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $1,143 in Colchester. 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 177% higher in Colchester, 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 $54.0 in Mexico City versus $94.0 in Colchester. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Mexico City vs $270 in Colchester – so Colchester 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 Colchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City, $2,244 in Colchester – roughly 54% apart. Colchester costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $3,366 in Colchester. 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.

Public transport costs about 319% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Mexico City and $1,357 in Colchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,456, than in Colchester at $2,244. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colchester 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 $1,456 in Mexico City to $2,244 in Colchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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