Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sliema

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,396 in Sliema, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Sliema
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,396
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,396 in Sliema.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Sliema $2,396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $3,794 in Sliema.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Sliema $3,794

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $5,191 in Sliema.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Sliema $5,191

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 35% less than in Sliema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Sliema 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$19.81 €17.63
-45.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$85.6 €76.2
-41.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$13.24 €11.77
-16.16%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$2.77 €2.47
32.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$3.02 €2.69
-45.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$2.16 €1.92
-39.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$4.60 €4.09
-27.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$5.24 €4.66
5.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.35 €1.20
31.11%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$1.37 €1.22
122.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$4.24 €3.77
-52.59%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$4.30 €3.82
-35.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$8.27 €7.35
44.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$10.25 €9.12
-8.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$18.21 €16.20
-17.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$4.24 €3.77
-27.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$2.81 €2.50
-30.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$3.52 €3.13
-42.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$3.32 €2.95
-33.43%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$2.42 €2.16
-16.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$2.05 €1.82
-11.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$2.34 €2.08
-35.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$1.30 €1.16
-1.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$6.83 €6.08
-22.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$8.09 €7.19
99.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.68 €1.50
16.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$2.40 €2.14
77.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$2.17 €1.93
-85.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$133 €118
-85.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$5.64 €5.02
-64.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$2.20 €1.96
-75.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$27.09 €24.10
-79.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.54 €1.37
-1.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$37.9K €33.7K
-44.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$39.6K €35.2K
-36.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$103 €91.9
-39.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$25.61 €22.78
12.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$42.84 €38.10
-19.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$76.4 €68.0
-25.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$15.86 €14.11
56.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$10.20 €9.08
-34.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$366 €326
17.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$11.1K €9,912
5.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$85.5 €76.0
-17.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$40.84 €36.33
26.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$101 €90.0
7.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$76.7 €68.2
46.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$1,775 €1,579
-40.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$1,220 €1,085
-45.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$2,913 €2,591
-19.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$2,385 €2,122
-48.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$5,353 €4,762
-33.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$3,578 €3,183
-44.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Sliema
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$1,815 €1,614
-46.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
2.9
289.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sliema: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Sliema
$1.2K 83.4% $555
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Sliema
$326 1.2% $3.8
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Sliema
$286 40.8% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Sliema
$137 11.5% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Sliema
$172 36.7% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Sliema
$97 37.4% $26
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Sliema
$158 515% $133

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $1,775 in Sliema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sliema pays 86% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $86.0 in Sliema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $326 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇲🇹 Sliema
🕒 Local time
14:04 2:04 PM
22:04 10:04 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
16,854
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Sliema 10,720 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Sliema

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 Sliema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Sliema?
Mexico City and Sliema differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $2,396 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Sliema. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Sliema?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $1,775 in Sliema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Sliema?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 571% less than in Sliema. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Sliema?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $366 in Sliema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,396 in Sliema, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Sliema. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Sliema?
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.
Is Mexico City or Sliema safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Sliema are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Sliema?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Sliema. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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