Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Preston

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,114 in Preston, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Preston
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Preston Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Preston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $2,114 in Preston.

Mexico City $1,608
Preston $2,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $3,021 in Preston.

Mexico City $2,549
Preston $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $3,928 in Preston.

Mexico City $3,490
Preston $3,928

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 24% less than in Preston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Preston 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$15.89 £11.96

-33.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$74.3 £55.9

-34.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$9.20 £6.93

12.50%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$4.24 £3.19

-12.97%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$2.31 £1.74

-27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$1.83 £1.38

-30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$5.39 £4.06

-40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$5.20 £3.91

2.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.49 £1.12

15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$1.43 £1.08

112.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.60 £1.21

21.25%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.59 £2.70

-19.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$5.30 £3.99

106.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$9.53 £7.17

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$12.68 £9.54

19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.59 £1.95

17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.72 £1.29

12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.57 £1.93

-21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$3.96 £2.98

-41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.06 £1.55

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.25 £1.70

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.17 £0.88

26.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.65 £1.24

-23.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$21.56 £16.23

-75.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$9.14 £6.88

76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$3.18 £2.39

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$3.25 £2.45

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$3.92 £2.95

-92.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$98.5 £74.1

-79.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$2.60 £1.96

-29.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$2.10 £1.58

-74.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.99 £1.49

-24.12%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$37.9K £28.5K

-42.60%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$41.1K £31.0K

-41.69%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$439 £330

-85.65%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$14.86 £11.19

84.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$43.51 £32.75

-18.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$41.40 £31.16

42.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$16.80 £12.64

40.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$17.83 £13.42

-64.11%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$1,512 £1,138

-71.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$8,738 £6,576

30.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$75.7 £57.0

-9.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$26.16 £19.69

103.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$65.4 £49.21

64.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$66.4 £49.97

76.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$969 £729

14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$767 £578

-7.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,608 £1,210

60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$1,211 £911

16.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$3,634 £2,735

-0.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$2,379 £1,790

-10.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$2,994 £2,253

-68.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

4.93

130.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Preston: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Preston

$767 36.3% 8% $57

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Preston

$281 13.3% 12.2% $39

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Preston

$260 12.3% 30.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Preston

$105 5% 32.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Preston

$497 23.5% 295% $371

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Preston

$77 3.6% 7.4% $5.3

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Preston

$127 6% 400% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $969 in Preston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Preston pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $74 in Preston. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $281, with Preston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇬🇧 Preston

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

114,300

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Preston 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Preston

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 Preston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,114 in Preston, so Mexico City is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $969 in Preston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 80% less than in Preston. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $1,512 in Preston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Preston on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.