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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Mexico City vs $2,696 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Mexico City vs $4,099 in Edinburgh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,470 per month in Mexico City vs $5,502 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Mexico City is about 38% cheaper than Edinburgh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Mexico City and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Mexico City by 21%, Edinburgh by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$24.27 £18.14

-50.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$108 £80.7

-52.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$10.91 £8.15

4.58%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$5.13 £3.83

-22.22%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.39 £1.79

-30.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$2.21 £1.65

-39.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$8.21 £6.13

-57.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$7.99 £5.97

-26.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.79 £1.34

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.42 £1.81

34.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.28 £1.71

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$5.02 £3.76

-42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.60 £7.18

33.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.59 £7.17

4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$15.75 £11.77

0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$3.11 £2.32

5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.84 £1.38

9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.31 £2.48

-33.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$3.53 £2.64

-33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.07 £1.55

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.51 £1.13

25.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.31 £0.98

22.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.92 £1.44

-27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$23.51 £17.57

-76.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$11.02 £8.24

60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$3.13 £2.34

-34.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$3.33 £2.49

40.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$2.94 £2.20

-88.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$96.9 £72.4

-78.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$5.34 £3.99

-60.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.85 £1.38

-69.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$28.78 £21.51

-79.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.07 £1.55

-22.22%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$38.8K £29.0K

-41.08%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$40.7K £30.4K

-34.20%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$335 £250

-80.54%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$16.42 £12.27

83.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$42.73 £31.93

-12.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$45.98 £34.36

29.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$23.69 £17.70

12.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$14.71 £10.99

-52.14%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$1,843 £1,377

-74.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$26.1K £19.5K

-49.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$85.2 £63.7

-10.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$51.0 £38.08

9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$108 £80.8

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$118 £87.9

2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$1,608 £1,202

-31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$1,225 £916

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$2,862 £2,139

-11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$2,163 £1,616

-40.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$6,804 £5,085

-41.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$4,688 £3,504

-55.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$3,512 £2,624

-70.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.78

136.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,103 in Mexico City versus $1,608 in Edinburgh. 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 239% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $108 in Edinburgh. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Mexico City vs $335 in Edinburgh – so Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 62%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,489 per month in Mexico City and $4,043 in Edinburgh. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Mexico City and $108 in Edinburgh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,660 in Mexico City and $2,696 in Edinburgh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,660, than in Edinburgh at $2,696. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh 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, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.