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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,225 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,301 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,377 in Luanda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 19% more expensive than in Luanda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Luanda is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.95 AOA 5,425

119.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$48.08 AOA 43.9K

11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.65 AOA 6,979

26.54%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.54 AOA 3,229

5.65%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.65 AOA 1,508

-1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.06 AOA 971

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.52 AOA 1,391

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.79 AOA 1,632

164.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.91 AOA 1,742

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.21 AOA 1,104

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.39 AOA 1,266

34.53%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.22 AOA 2,025

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.55 AOA 11.5K

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.09 AOA 5,560

35.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.14 AOA 9,253

16.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.60 AOA 2,374

15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.06 AOA 968

70.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.12 AOA 2,849

-35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.05 AOA 1,870

-2.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.76 AOA 1,605

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.53 AOA 1,392

48.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.00 AOA 1,827

-27.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.43 AOA 391

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.35 AOA 2,141

85.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.86 AOA 5,348

189.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.60 AOA 545

188.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.30 AOA 1,189

175.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.37 AOA 335

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$33.07 AOA 30.2K

-43.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.22 AOA 1,111

9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.87 AOA 794

-67.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$6.11 AOA 5,575

-14.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.38 AOA 349

252.63%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$20.0K AOA 18.2M

-2.87%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$28.4K AOA 25.9M

-16.16%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$97.7 AOA 89.1K

-58.33%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$20.52 AOA 18.7K

30.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$133 AOA 121.1K

-77.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$43.50 AOA 39.7K

21.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$14.35 AOA 13.1K

85.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.48 AOA 4,086

45.31%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$689 AOA 628.9K

-37.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$14.8K AOA 13.5M

-29.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$99.4 AOA 90.7K

-42.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$78.5 AOA 71.7K

-42.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$131 AOA 119.5K

-20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$250 AOA 227.8K

-56.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$531 AOA 484.7K

88.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$288 AOA 262.8K

116.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$2,345 AOA 2.1M

-10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,357 AOA 1.2M

-10.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$12.1K AOA 11.0M

-67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$860 AOA 784.8K

136.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,379 AOA 1.3M

-24.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-52.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Luanda: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $531 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 33% 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 $48.00 in Luanda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $225 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,225 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $531 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 77% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $689 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Luanda versus $1,456 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.