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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,010 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,900 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,790 in Luanda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Luanda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Luanda is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$5.56 AOA 5,073

118.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$913

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

47.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.47 AOA 5,909

71.41%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.4

$2.53 AOA 2,312

62.06%

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

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.34 AOA 1,227

25.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.52

$1.16 AOA 1,056

19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.4

$1.66 AOA 1,513

100.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.6

$1.66 AOA 1,519

254.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.36

$1.99 AOA 1,819

-7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$0.95 AOA 869

233.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$1.61 AOA 1,466

28.57%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.60

$1.88 AOA 1,714

55.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$9.26 AOA 8,450

35.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.44 AOA 3,138

193.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.52 AOA 6,861

113.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.4

$2.25 AOA 2,058

50.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.21

$1.01 AOA 926

105.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.92

$2.78 AOA 2,536

-23.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.89

$1.84 AOA 1,683

30.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.07

$1.55 AOA 1,412

37.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.97

$1.58 AOA 1,441

27.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.18

$1.76 AOA 1,604

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.12

$0.34 AOA 315

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.7

$1.62 AOA 1,481

256.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$5.89 AOA 5,378

201.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.07

$0.45 AOA 412

360.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.2

$0.92 AOA 838

401.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.20

$0.34 AOA 310

8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

-35.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.79

$1.12 AOA 1,027

83.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.91 AOA 830

-36.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.50 AOA 5,020

10.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.30

$0.32 AOA 292

384.38%

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

$22.9K MX$387.5K

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

61.52%

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

$27.2K MX$461.4K

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

19.81%

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

$67.4 MX$1,142

$101 AOA 92.0K

-33.15%

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

$30.62 MX$519

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

71.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$631

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

-53.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,041

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

34.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

74.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$3.57 AOA 3,259

99.16%

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

$456 MX$7,728

$759 AOA 692.4K

-39.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.0K

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

2.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,257

$109 AOA 99.4K

-31.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$966

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,955

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,059

$201 AOA 183.3K

-39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$390 AOA 356.0K

194.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$196 AOA 179.1K

261.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

18.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$1,039 AOA 948.3K

24.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

-66.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$894 AOA 815.7K

138.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

-23.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-46.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $390 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Luanda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $183 per month, with Luanda 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 Luanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Luanda differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,010 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Luanda. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $390 in Luanda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $759 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.