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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,695 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,667 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,639 in Umea.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 14% less than in Umea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Umea 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$16.05 SEK 155

-18.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$83.3 SEK 803

-35.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$11.75 SEK 113

-17.62%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$4.12 SEK 39.68

-9.22%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$3.39 SEK 32.70

-52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$2.59 SEK 24.97

-55.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$9.11 SEK 87.8

-64.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$7.43 SEK 71.6

-36.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.73 SEK 16.66

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$3.49 SEK 33.61

-21.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$4.24 SEK 40.86

-55.90%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$4.32 SEK 41.61

-42.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.50 SEK 111

-11.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$10.99 SEK 106

-24.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$18.49 SEK 178

-36.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$2.82 SEK 27.18

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$2.32 SEK 22.35

-21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$2.99 SEK 28.77

-33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$4.48 SEK 43.21

-55.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$1.72 SEK 16.55

20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$1.84 SEK 17.74

23.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$2.62 SEK 25.21

-44.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$1.50 SEK 14.43

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$6.83 SEK 65.8

-36.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$10.94 SEK 105

55.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.66 SEK 15.99

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$2.10 SEK 20.28

70.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$3.02 SEK 29.11

-87.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$60.1 SEK 579

-68.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$5.24 SEK 50.5

-74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$1.66 SEK 16.00

-83.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$46.83 SEK 451

-88.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.91 SEK 18.39

-29.84%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

-39.80%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

-31.73%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$69.4 SEK 668

-41.33%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$34.68 SEK 334

-22.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$26.86 SEK 259

13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$50.9 SEK 490

3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$39.23 SEK 378

-32.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$16.00 SEK 154

-59.31%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$147 SEK 1,417

191.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

150.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$101 SEK 978

-43.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$38.55 SEK 371

18.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$126 SEK 1,213

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$137 SEK 1,318

-21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$803 SEK 7,733

25.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$543 SEK 5,233

14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

78.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$899 SEK 8,660

35.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

-18.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

-35.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

-61.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.53

150.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Umea: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $803 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 161% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $83.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $365 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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Umea differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,695 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 161% lower in Umea. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $803 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 221% less than in Umea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $147 in Umea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,695 in Umea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Umea. 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 Umea 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 16% less than in Umea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.