Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Southwark

For one person, living costs are similar in Mexico City and in Southwark: $1,548 and $1,486 a month, rent and utilities included.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Southwark
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,486
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,486 in Southwark.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Southwark $1,486

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $4,262 in Southwark.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Southwark $4,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $7,038 in Southwark.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Southwark $7,038

Living in Mexico City is roughly 4% more expensive than in Southwark, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Southwark 10% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$25.00 £18.76
-55.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$101 £75.6
-51.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$10.67 £8.00
2.16%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$5.70 £4.28
-35.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$3.05 £2.29
-46.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$2.60 £1.95
-51.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$9.29 £6.97
-65.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$8.28 £6.21
-33.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.92 £1.44
-11.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.05 £1.54
47.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$2.20 £1.65
-12.73%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$4.38 £3.29
-37.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$11.90 £8.93
-1.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$9.07 £6.80
5.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$15.57 £11.68
-7.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$3.05 £2.29
-0.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.44 £1.08
31.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$2.98 £2.24
-33.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$3.52 £2.64
-37.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.66 £1.25
15.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.79 £1.34
4.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.36 £1.02
5.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$1.86 £1.39
-31.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$23.44 £17.59
-77.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$12.16 £9.12
32.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$3.05 £2.29
-37.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$3.22 £2.42
31.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$3.89 £2.92
-91.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
$157 £118
-87.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$4.97 £3.73
-59.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$2.72 £2.04
-80.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$39.66 £29.75
-86.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$2.15 £1.62
-29.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$37.9K £28.4K
-41.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$39.9K £30.0K
-38.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$335 £251
-81.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$18.37 £13.78
55.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$40.35 £30.27
-14.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$18.05 £13.54
-63.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$2,557 £1,919
-83.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$30.4K £22.8K
-61.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$93.1 £69.9
-27.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$46.53 £34.91
11.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$103 £77.5
2.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$90.0 £67.5
25.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$2,307 £1,731
-55.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$5,586 £4,190
-58.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$3,792 £2,844
-67.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Southwark
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$4,185 £3,140
-76.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
5.12
120.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Southwark: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Southwark
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Southwark
$329 3.6% $11
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Southwark
$386 89.4% $182
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Southwark
$150 1.6% $2.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Southwark
$393 217% $269
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Southwark
$36 * 48.2% $34
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Southwark
$191 645% $165

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $2,307 in Southwark. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southwark pays 334% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $101 in Southwark for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $329 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇬🇧 Southwark
🕒 Local time
05:39 5:39 AM
12:39 12:39 PM
7 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
71,552
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Southwark 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Southwark

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 Southwark: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Southwark?
Mexico City and Southwark differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $1,486 including rent). Southwark 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 334% lower in Southwark. 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 Southwark?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $2,307 in Southwark. 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 Southwark?
A monthly transit pass in Southwark runs roughly 698% less than in Mexico City. 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 Southwark?
Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $2,557 in Southwark. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,486 in Southwark versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Southwark but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Southwark the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Southwark?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Southwark?
Expats usually find Southwark gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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