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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,237 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,318 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,399 in Luanda.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Luanda is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.93 AOA 5,418

122.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$48.12 AOA 43.9K

12.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.73 AOA 7,061

21.86%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.53 AOA 3,222

0.57%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.61 AOA 1,469

0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.05 AOA 960

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.51 AOA 1,376

106.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.75 AOA 1,594

164.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.90 AOA 1,736

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.20 AOA 1,097

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.44 AOA 1,312

32.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.14 AOA 1,954

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.66 AOA 11.6K

-20.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.03 AOA 5,506

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.63 AOA 8,791

20.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.63 AOA 2,397

12.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.11 AOA 1,013

63.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.12 AOA 2,851

-35.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.12 AOA 1,937

-4.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.74 AOA 1,590

21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.60 AOA 1,465

41.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.95 AOA 1,778

-28.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.46 AOA 419

145.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.33 AOA 2,123

83.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.00 AOA 5,482

159.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.56 AOA 514

214.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.33 AOA 1,210

170.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.36 AOA 331

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$32.60 AOA 29.8K

-41.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.17 AOA 1,070

17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.87 AOA 791

-67.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.98 AOA 5,462

-8.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.36 AOA 326

261.11%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$19.9K AOA 18.2M

-6.02%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.1K AOA 25.7M

-17.68%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$95.5 AOA 87.2K

-57.22%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$19.80 AOA 18.1K

35.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$131 AOA 119.9K

-77.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$42.15 AOA 38.5K

23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$14.25 AOA 13.0K

88.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.62 AOA 4,219

36.36%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$699 AOA 638.6K

-37.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$14.9K AOA 13.6M

-30.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$98.3 AOA 89.7K

-42.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$79.4 AOA 72.5K

-44.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$128 AOA 116.7K

-19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$254 AOA 231.8K

-58.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$521 AOA 475.5K

96.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$286 AOA 260.9K

120.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,330 AOA 2.1M

-8.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,338 AOA 1.2M

-7.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$12.2K AOA 11.1M

-67.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$891 AOA 813.7K

131.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,417 AOA 1.3M

-21.30%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Luanda: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $521 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 27% 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 $288 vs $224 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 ($1,467 vs $1,237 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Luanda earns 27% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $521 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $699 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,237 in Luanda versus $1,467 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.