Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lira

For one person, living is cheaper in Lira: $389 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Lira, Uganda
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Lira
🇺🇬 Uganda
$389
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Lira

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Lira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $389 in Lira, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Lira $389

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $614 in Lira, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Lira $614

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $839 in Lira, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Lira $839

Mexico City costs about 330% more than Lira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Lira is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$197
$2.32 UGX 9,799
356.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$967
$23.02 UGX 97.1K
125.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$200
$7.13 UGX 30.1K
50.49%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$70.6
$2.41 UGX 10.1K
57.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.01
$0.24 UGX 1,016
570.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.55
$0.22 UGX 927
450.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.1
$0.71 UGX 2,998
347.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$101
$1.72 UGX 7,240
216.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$31.96
$0.76 UGX 3,192
126.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.2
$0.84 UGX 3,557
253.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.84
$1.24 UGX 5,213
55.65%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.6
$1.38 UGX 5,807
100.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$217
$4.04 UGX 17.0K
188.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$176
$4.35 UGX 18.3K
117.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$286
$4.71 UGX 19.8K
226.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$57.8
$2.02 UGX 8,515
53.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.49
$1.35 UGX 5,679
45.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.88
$1.21 UGX 5,120
63.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.46
$1.18 UGX 4,976
98.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.66
$1.20 UGX 5,051
68.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.95
$1.20 UGX 5,045
51.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$28.74
$0.70 UGX 2,937
120.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.42
$0.50 UGX 2,116
162.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$99.6
$2.41 UGX 10.2K
121.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$301
$7.17 UGX 30.2K
125.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.46
$1.05 UGX 4,407
86.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.0
$1.78 UGX 7,490
144.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.67
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$35.68
$0.49 UGX 2,065
291.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.80
$0.28 UGX 1,173
67.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$101
$2.90 UGX 12.2K
86.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.61
$1.42 UGX 5,975
4.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$397.7K
$6,923 UGX 29.2M
208.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$442.1K
$7,095 UGX 29.9M
234.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,154
$65.4 UGX 276.0K
-5.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$530
$10.94 UGX 46.2K
160.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$635
$33.40 UGX 140.9K
2.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,087
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$456
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$123
$7.12 UGX 30.0K
-7.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,081
$259 UGX 1.1M
67.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$261.2K
$15.6K UGX 65.8M
-10.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,272
$12.99 UGX 54.8K
426.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,020
$12.06 UGX 50.9K
354.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,063
$30.89 UGX 130.3K
258.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,158
$41.89 UGX 176.7K
176.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$21.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$47.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$66.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Lira
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
20.75
-45.30%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lira: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Lira
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Lira
$141 56.3% $182
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Lira
$78 61.3% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Lira
$44 72% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Lira
$110 11.9% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Lira
$14 * 80.1% $57
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Lira
$1.9 * 92.5% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $23 in Lira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $141 – making Lira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇬 Lira
🕒 Local time
04:28 4:28 AM
13:28 1:28 PM
9 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
99,059
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,217 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD). 1 EUR = 4,739 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Lira 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Lira

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lira cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 330%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $583 in Lira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Lira?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $389 in Lira. That makes Lira about 77% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Mexico City and $259 in Lira. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Lira?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lira, where all-in costs run around $389, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Lira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Lira?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $389 in Lira to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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