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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $4,279 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $5,679 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 43% less than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Longyearbyen 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$20.42 NOK 190

-40.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$108 NOK 1,007

-51.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$18.36 NOK 170

-40.63%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$7.09 NOK 65.9

-42.88%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$6.03 NOK 56.0

-71.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-76.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$7.83 NOK 72.7

-55.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$9.37 NOK 87.0

-37.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.48 NOK 23.03

-25.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$5.03 NOK 46.70

-35.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$4.29 NOK 39.79

-51.28%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$5.09 NOK 47.23

-42.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$14.31 NOK 133

-12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$20.15 NOK 187

-49.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$30.53 NOK 283

-47.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$6.90 NOK 64.0

-52.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.76 NOK 25.65

-22.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$7.31 NOK 67.9

-70.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$7.02 NOK 65.1

-65.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$5.55 NOK 51.6

-60.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$4.73 NOK 43.96

-59.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$4.64 NOK 43.08

-65.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$3.63 NOK 33.75

-62.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$17.72 NOK 165

-69.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$15.17 NOK 141

15.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$3.64 NOK 33.83

-43.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$4.47 NOK 41.47

6.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$5.08 NOK 47.15

-93.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$93.3 NOK 867

-76.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$9.56 NOK 88.7

-78.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.86 NOK 17.27

-68.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$65.0 NOK 603

-90.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$2.19 NOK 20.31

-26.03%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

-50.28%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

-47.06%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$266 NOK 2,473

-75.50%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$33.06 NOK 307

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$57.4 NOK 533

-36.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$50.4 NOK 468

21.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$36.86 NOK 342

-27.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$17.89 NOK 166

-61.71%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$267 NOK 2,477

69.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

29.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$101 NOK 938

-25.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$56.4 NOK 524

-1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$126 NOK 1,170

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$159 NOK 1,478

-22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

-1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$1,024 NOK 9,511

-30.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

-23.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

-38.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

-50.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

-64.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.96

127.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $1,146 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 182% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $108 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $609 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 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 182% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $1,146 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 333% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $267 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen, a $3,000 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 75% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.