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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $2,302 in Lerwick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $3,380 in Lerwick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $4,459 in Lerwick.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 36% less than in Lerwick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Lerwick 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$20.71 £15.49

-36.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$81.3 £60.8

-34.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$10.22 £7.64

-6.56%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$4.73 £3.54

-21.35%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$2.34 £1.75

-32.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$1.67 £1.25

-30.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$6.26 £4.68

-49.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$6.27 £4.69

-26.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.59 £1.19

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$1.66 £1.24

57.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$2.22 £1.66

-14.86%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$3.79 £2.84

-31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$10.06 £7.52

-1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$8.93 £6.67

-7.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$13.85 £10.36

-14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$3.06 £2.29

-1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.57 £1.17

14.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$2.81 £2.10

-26.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$3.59 £2.69

-45.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.63 £1.22

26.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.48 £1.10

46.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$1.06 £0.79

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.45 £1.09

-26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$19.20 £14.35

-78.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$11.12 £8.31

56.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$2.78 £2.08

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$3.11 £2.32

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$3.32 £2.48

-88.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$87.0 £65.0

-78.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$5.42 £4.05

-75.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.53 £1.14

-80.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$23.37 £17.47

-76.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.95 £1.46

-32.82%

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$38.6K £28.9K

-50.39%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$41.4K £30.9K

-42.63%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$290 £217

-85.83%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$17.43 £13.03

59.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$43.53 £32.55

-30.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$46.06 £34.44

16.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$13.51 £10.10

-51.96%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$1,621 £1,212

-73.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$18.4K £13.7K

-43.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$84.5 £63.2

-30.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$43.09 £32.21

6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$92.5 £69.2

9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$99.4 £74.3

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$1,225 £916

-17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$1,003 £750

-36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$2,032 £1,519

5.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$1,731 £1,294

-27.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$4,543 £3,396

-15.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.63

101.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Lerwick: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $1,225 in Lerwick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $81.0 in Lerwick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $299 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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $3,453 in Lerwick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $1,225 in Lerwick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,481 per month in Mexico City versus $2,302 in Lerwick – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 365% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $2,302 in Lerwick, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Lerwick 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 55% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.