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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,216 in Livingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $3,443 in Livingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $4,669 in Livingston.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 34% less than in Livingston, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Livingston 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$20.05 £14.86

-34.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$94.4 £70.0

-43.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$9.82 £7.28

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$4.80 £3.56

-22.92%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.73 £2.03

-41.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$2.12 £1.57

-47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$6.97 £5.17

-54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$6.59 £4.88

-26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.63 £1.21

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.66 £1.23

63.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.16 £1.60

-11.57%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.56 £2.64

-27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$11.06 £8.20

-11.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$9.20 £6.82

-8.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$16.24 £12.03

-26.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.17 £2.35

-6.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.63 £1.21

6.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.75 £2.04

-25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$3.77 £2.80

-45.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.76 £1.31

22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.43 £1.06

58.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.16 £0.86

19.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.65 £1.23

-32.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$18.91 £14.01

-77.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.68 £7.91

63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.63 £1.95

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.42 £2.53

6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$3.28 £2.43

-89.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$74.9 £55.5

-74.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$5.45 £4.04

-74.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.23 £0.91

-77.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$22.03 £16.33

-76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.99 £1.48

-31.66%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$38.9K £28.9K

-50.92%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$39.7K £29.4K

-40.58%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$381 £282

-89.35%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$17.55 £13.01

56.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$45.47 £33.70

-33.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$61.0 £45.19

-14.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$34.29 £25.42

-22.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$10.77 £7.98

-42.53%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$1,249 £926

-65.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$18.7K £13.9K

-42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$105 £78.2

-44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$55.2 £40.92

-19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$116 £86.2

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$81.6 £60.5

33.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$891 £661

13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$769 £570

-19.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$1,964 £1,456

7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$1,579 £1,170

-22.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$3,983 £2,952

-73.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.7

98.95%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Livingston: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $891 in Livingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Livingston pays 279% 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 $94.0 in Livingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $313 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 Livingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Livingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 279% lower in Livingston. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $891 in Livingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $1,249 in Livingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Livingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,216 in Livingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Livingston. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,472 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Livingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.