Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Selfoss

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,416 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,416 in Selfoss.

Mexico City $1,608
Selfoss $3,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,439 in Selfoss.

Mexico City $2,549
Selfoss $2,439

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,461 in Selfoss.

Mexico City $3,490
Selfoss $1,461

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 53% less than in Selfoss, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Selfoss 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$20.39 ISK 2,477

-49.24%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$12.18 ISK 1,480

-73.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.77 ISK 215

-2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$7.65 ISK 930

-60.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$4.55 ISK 553

-57.36%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$6.49 ISK 788

-55.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$17.25 ISK 2,096

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$21.56 ISK 2,619

-57.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$33.60 ISK 4,082

-54.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.83 ISK 343

7.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$2.70 ISK 328

-28.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$2.72 ISK 330

-25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$7.25 ISK 881

-68.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$3.24 ISK 394

-37.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$2.07 ISK 252

-13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$3.70 ISK 449

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$1.34 ISK 163

-5.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$15.61 ISK 1,897

-66.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$1.15 ISK 140

269.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

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

$27.39 MX$510

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,041

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$2,771 ISK 336.6K

-74.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Selfoss: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Selfoss

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Selfoss

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Selfoss

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Selfoss

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Selfoss

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Selfoss

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Selfoss

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

01:55 1:55 AM

6 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

9,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.39 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Mexico City Selfoss 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Selfoss

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 Selfoss: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $3,416 in Selfoss, so Mexico City is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $5,124 in Selfoss to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $3,416 in Selfoss – Mexico City is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,416 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.