Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Longyearbyen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,753 in Longyearbyen, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Longyearbyen
Learn more

Longyearbyen Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Longyearbyen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Longyearbyen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,753 in Longyearbyen.

Mexico City $1,548
Longyearbyen $2,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $4,188 in Longyearbyen.

Mexico City $2,436
Longyearbyen $4,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $5,624 in Longyearbyen.

Mexico City $3,323
Longyearbyen $5,624

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 44% less than in Longyearbyen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Longyearbyen 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$20.60 NOK 194

-46.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$104 NOK 980

-53.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$18.21 NOK 171

-40.14%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$6.99 NOK 65.8

-47.35%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$6.02 NOK 56.7

-72.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$5.54 NOK 52.1

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$7.36 NOK 69.2

-55.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$9.23 NOK 86.9

-40.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$2.39 NOK 22.48

-28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.59 NOK 33.84

-15.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.37 NOK 41.13

-56.06%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.89 NOK 46.05

-44.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$14.26 NOK 134

-17.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$20.14 NOK 190

-52.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$31.12 NOK 293

-53.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$6.72 NOK 63.2

-55.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.67 NOK 25.14

-29.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$6.80 NOK 64.0

-70.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$6.57 NOK 61.9

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$5.46 NOK 51.4

-64.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$4.47 NOK 42.05

-58.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$4.37 NOK 41.12

-67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$3.54 NOK 33.36

-64.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$17.10 NOK 161

-69.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$14.34 NOK 135

12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$3.40 NOK 32.01

-44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$4.20 NOK 39.52

0.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$4.68 NOK 44.07

-92.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$83.2 NOK 783

-76.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$9.19 NOK 86.5

-78.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.88 NOK 17.73

-72.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$70.8 NOK 667

-92.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$2.20 NOK 20.73

-30.91%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$47.2K NOK 444.5K

-53.25%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$43.0K NOK 404.9K

-43.01%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$266 NOK 2,501

-77.01%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$33.76 NOK 318

-15.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$52.8 NOK 497

-34.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$49.32 NOK 464

14.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$37.00 NOK 348

-32.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$17.11 NOK 161

-61.08%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$234 NOK 2,201

82.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

-11.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$98.3 NOK 925

-31.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$56.6 NOK 533

-8.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$127 NOK 1,198

-16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$157 NOK 1,482

-28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,107 NOK 10.4K

-7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,011 NOK 9,518

-35.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,947 NOK 18.3K

18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,675 NOK 15.8K

-25.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$6,182 NOK 58.2K

-41.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$4,028 NOK 37.9K

-51.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$2,904 NOK 27.3K

-66.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.94

128.74%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Longyearbyen

$1K 36.7% 54.5% $357

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Longyearbyen

$583 21.2% 83.2% $265

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Longyearbyen

$405 14.7% 98.6% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Longyearbyen

$198 7.2% 29.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Longyearbyen

$352 12.8% 184% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Longyearbyen

$84 3% 19.9% $14

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Longyearbyen

$121 4.4% 370% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,107 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 201% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $104 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $583 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇳🇴 Longyearbyen

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,400

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Longyearbyen 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Longyearbyen

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 Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 201% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,107 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 323% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $234 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,753 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 78% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.