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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,142 in Durham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $3,397 in Durham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $4,652 in Durham.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 22% less than in Durham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Durham 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$19.92 £14.72

-39.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$93.1 £68.8

-42.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$11.72 £8.67

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$4.63 £3.42

-11.45%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.59 £1.91

-35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$2.19 £1.62

-36.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$6.14 £4.54

-45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$5.33 £3.94

10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.00 £1.48

-7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.54 £1.14

105.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.99 £2.21

-30.77%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$4.61 £3.41

-36.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.14 £7.49

24.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$9.08 £6.71

11.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$22.25 £16.45

-27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.02 £2.23

12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.58 £1.91

-19.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.91 £2.15

-27.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$5.16 £3.82

-53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.58 £1.17

34.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.70 £1.25

18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.09 £0.81

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.95 £1.44

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$24.43 £18.06

-76.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.13 £8.23

59.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$3.36 £2.48

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.33 £2.46

38.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$3.28 £2.42

-88.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$88.4 £65.3

-76.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$6.73 £4.97

-69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.96 £1.45

-70.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$24.35 £18.00

-75.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.96 £1.45

-20.92%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$39.5K £29.2K

-42.07%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$41.4K £30.6K

-34.24%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$263 £195

-74.40%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$15.14 £11.19

102.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$44.63 £32.99

-16.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$48.03 £35.50

27.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$13.03 £9.63

-45.43%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$1,354 £1,001

-66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$26.1K £19.3K

-47.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$107 £79.3

-30.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$72.8 £53.8

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$114 £84.5

0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$98.7 £73.0

23.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$1,629 £1,204

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$759 £561

-6.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$2,747 £2,030

-6.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,627 £1,202

-20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$5,162 £3,815

-22.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$3,960 £2,927

-46.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,168 £1,603

-50.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.18

118.15%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Durham: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $1,629 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 100% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $93.0 in Durham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $358 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Durham differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $2,142 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Durham. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $1,629 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $2,142 in Durham – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 317% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,142 in Durham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Durham. 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 Durham 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 28% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.