Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Swords Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Swords

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $2,605 in Swords.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $3,727 in Swords.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $4,850 in Swords.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 44% less than in Swords, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 8% above, Swords 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$18.54 €16.07

-29.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$97.1 €84.2

-45.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$10.41 €9.02

-9.41%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$4.41 €3.83

-19.05%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$2.33 €2.02

-30.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$1.56 €1.35

-26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$6.95 €6.03

-54.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$6.39 €5.54

-23.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$1.50 €1.30

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.23 €1.94

18.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$2.08 €1.80

-8.65%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$3.97 €3.44

-36.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.03 €9.56

-8.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.46 €9.06

-20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$12.15 €10.53

-4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$2.87 €2.49

5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$1.99 €1.73

-14.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$2.85 €2.47

-28.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$3.48 €3.02

-40.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$1.37 €1.19

50.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$1.47 €1.28

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$1.31 €1.14

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$1.65 €1.43

-32.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$19.34 €16.76

-77.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$13.80 €11.96

11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$3.60 €3.12

-53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$4.03 €3.49

-8.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$2.49 €2.16

-84.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

$100 €86.8

-80.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$4.98 €4.31

-72.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$2.12 €1.83

-86.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$39.00 €33.80

-86.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$2.06 €1.78

-37.86%

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$43.3K €37.5K

-56.12%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$39.7K €34.4K

-40.85%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$279 €242

-85.30%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$23.18 €20.09

16.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$54.4 €47.17

-45.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

$40.15 €34.80

30.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$13.67 €11.84

-54.79%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$1,063 €921

-59.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$8,152 €7,065

31.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$89.7 €77.8

-36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$39.68 €34.39

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$103 €88.9

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$107 €92.3

-0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$1,457 €1,263

-31.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$1,233 €1,069

-49.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$2,427 €2,104

-12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$2,000 €1,733

-37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

$4,064 €3,522

-3.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$3,178 €2,755

-34.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.04

180.69%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Swords: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $1,457 in Swords. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $97.0 in Swords for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $324 per month, with Mexico City 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 Swords: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Swords differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $2,605 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $3,907 in Swords 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $1,457 in Swords. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 426% less than in Swords. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $1,063 in Swords. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $2,605 in Swords, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Swords. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Swords are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.