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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $1,694 in Darlington, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,342 per month in Mexico City vs $2,733 in Darlington, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Mexico City vs $3,772 in Darlington, rent included.

Mexico City is about 12% cheaper than Darlington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Darlington sit above the global median – Mexico City by 10%, Darlington by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$18.01 £13.34

-26.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$82.1 £60.8

-34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$9.38 £6.95

-0.96%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$4.72 £3.50

-23.52%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$2.05 £1.52

-23.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.65 £0.48

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$5.38 £3.98

-41.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$4.46 £3.31

5.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.30 £0.96

30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$1.40 £1.04

97.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$2.45 £1.82

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$3.69 £2.74

-29.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$10.37 £7.68

-4.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$8.13 £6.03

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$7.32 £5.43

57.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$3.52 £2.61

-18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.32 £0.98

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$3.19 £2.36

-37.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.69 £2.73

-44.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.13 £0.84

84.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.38 £1.02

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.97 £0.72

49.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.79 £0.59

35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$18.50 £13.71

-76.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$10.71 £7.94

33.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$1.18 £0.88

49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$1.86 £1.38

98.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$2.78 £2.06

-87.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$84.8 £62.9

-77.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$4.87 £3.61

-72.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.52 £1.13

-81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$16.33 £12.10

-67.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.91 £1.41

-29.84%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$20.6K £15.2K

-7.02%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$31.4K £23.3K

-23.92%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$269 £199

-85.16%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$15.80 £11.71

69.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$42.32 £31.36

-30.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$27.32 £20.25

95.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

$6.87 £5.09

279.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$6.75 £5.00

-5.19%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$1,555 £1,153

-71.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$6,872 £5,092

56.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$80.7 £59.8

-28.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$27.33 £20.25

64.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$84.7 £62.8

22.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$71.8 £53.2

50.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$676 £501

49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$542 £401

16.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$1,506 £1,116

43.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$1,246 £923

-1.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

$13.7K £10.2K

-72.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$2,607 £1,932

-58.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.6

102.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Darlington: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Mexico City versus $676 in Darlington. 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 143% higher in Darlington, 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 in Mexico City versus $82 in Darlington. Groceries tell a different story – $285 in Mexico City vs $253 in Darlington – so Darlington 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 Darlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Darlington is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,226 per month in Mexico City and $2,541 in Darlington. 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 342% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Mexico City and $1,555 in Darlington. 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 $1,484, than in Darlington at $1,694. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Darlington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Darlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.