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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,261 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $3,540 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $4,819 in Longyearbyen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Longyearbyen 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$20.26 NOK 195

-35.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$101 NOK 968

-46.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$13.43 NOK 129

-27.92%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$6.41 NOK 61.7

-41.65%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$3.56 NOK 34.28

-54.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$3.79 NOK 36.50

-69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$7.07 NOK 68.1

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$9.54 NOK 91.8

-50.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$2.92 NOK 28.08

-43.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$3.31 NOK 31.87

-16.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$3.29 NOK 31.64

-43.16%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$4.79 NOK 46.16

-47.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.39 NOK 100

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$14.72 NOK 142

-43.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$28.40 NOK 274

-58.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$3.15 NOK 30.35

-4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$3.01 NOK 29.01

-39.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$3.13 NOK 30.20

-36.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$4.56 NOK 43.93

-56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$3.28 NOK 31.61

-36.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$3.34 NOK 32.13

-32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$1.85 NOK 17.86

-21.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.61 NOK 5.91

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$15.20 NOK 146

-71.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$14.16 NOK 136

19.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$3.28 NOK 31.58

-47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$4.01 NOK 38.61

-10.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$4.35 NOK 41.95

-91.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$74.6 NOK 718

-74.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$10.08 NOK 97.0

-86.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$1.05 NOK 10.08

-73.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$47.15 NOK 454

-88.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$2.05 NOK 19.77

-34.63%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

-45.68%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

-39.17%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$72.8 NOK 701

-44.11%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$37.60 NOK 362

-28.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$48.40 NOK 466

-36.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$49.55 NOK 477

6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$35.16 NOK 339

-24.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$12.02 NOK 116

-45.84%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$282 NOK 2,716

51.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$95.6 NOK 921

-40.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$51.8 NOK 499

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$108 NOK 1,043

-3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$155 NOK 1,489

-30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$702 NOK 6,760

42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$902 NOK 8,685

-30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

15.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

-20.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

-34.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

-48.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

-63.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.38

158.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $702 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 174% 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 $101 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $438 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 Longyearbyen: 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.

On paper, salaries run 174% lower in Longyearbyen. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $702 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 299% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $282 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,261 in Longyearbyen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. 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 Longyearbyen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Longyearbyen 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 Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.