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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Mexico City vs $3,091 in Ilford, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,359 per month in Mexico City vs $4,030 in Ilford, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Mexico City vs $4,968 in Ilford, rent included.

Mexico City is about 52% cheaper than Ilford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Ilford sit above the global median – Mexico City by 11%, Ilford by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$20.13 £14.92

-34.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$87.0 £64.5

-38.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$10.77 £7.98

-13.37%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$4.72 £3.50

-21.61%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.51 £1.12

5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.08 £0.80

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$5.33 £3.95

-41.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$5.93 £4.39

-18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.47 £1.09

12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.42 £1.05

90.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.24 £1.66

-14.73%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.64 £2.70

-28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.26 £6.12

18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$8.24 £6.10

2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$13.21 £9.79

-9.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.15 £2.34

-6.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.51 £1.12

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.98 £2.21

-31.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.85 £2.11

-27.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.67 £1.24

28.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.56 £1.16

44.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.30 £0.96

6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.38 £1.02

-18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$20.97 £15.54

-79.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$13.05 £9.67

34.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.83 £2.10

-39.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.43 £1.80

49.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$3.45 £2.55

-89.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$89.7 £66.5

-78.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$6.03 £4.47

-77.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.12 £1.57

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$29.83 £22.11

-82.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.88 £1.40

-27.66%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$38.9K £28.8K

-50.84%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$39.4K £29.2K

-40.15%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$321 £238

-87.36%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$16.58 £12.29

65.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$34.65 £25.68

-12.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$28.31 £20.98

84.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$20.57 £15.25

-69.91%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$1,940 £1,438

-78.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$22.3K £16.5K

-51.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$103 £76.1

-43.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$40.30 £29.87

10.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$89.8 £66.6

15.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$102 £75.9

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$1,417 £1,051

-28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,787 £1,324

-65.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$3,039 £2,252

-30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$2,119 £1,570

-42.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$5,226 £3,874

-27.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$3,604 £2,671

-70.80%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Ilford: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mexico City versus $1,417 in Ilford. 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 242% higher in Ilford, 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 $87.0 in Ilford. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Mexico City vs $284 in Ilford – so Ilford 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 Ilford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford costs about 110% more than Mexico City, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Mexico City and $4,637 in Ilford. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Ilford – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $87.0 in Ilford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,472, than in Ilford at $3,091. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,472 versus $3,091 in Ilford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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