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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,694 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,666 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,638 in Umea.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 13% less than in Umea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Umea 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$16.05 SEK 150

-17.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$85.4 SEK 796

-36.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$11.41 SEK 106

-17.44%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.29 SEK 40.00

-17.25%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$3.39 SEK 31.65

-52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$2.51 SEK 23.45

-55.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$9.11 SEK 85.0

-65.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$7.55 SEK 70.4

-38.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.69 SEK 15.80

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$3.58 SEK 33.37

-24.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$4.32 SEK 40.31

-55.79%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$4.29 SEK 40.00

-40.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.93 SEK 111

-15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$11.05 SEK 103

-26.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$18.30 SEK 171

-36.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.84 SEK 26.48

4.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.39 SEK 22.30

-24.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.84 SEK 26.47

-29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$4.44 SEK 41.41

-54.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.68 SEK 15.65

26.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.82 SEK 16.96

24.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.62 SEK 24.40

-46.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.48 SEK 13.78

-23.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.70 SEK 62.5

-36.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.34 SEK 106

37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.66 SEK 15.46

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.22 SEK 20.76

62.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$3.14 SEK 29.31

-87.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$59.1 SEK 552

-67.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$5.22 SEK 48.74

-73.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.60 SEK 14.97

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$47.06 SEK 439

-88.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.95 SEK 18.18

-33.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$32.7K SEK 305.4K

-42.90%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$35.2K SEK 328.7K

-34.34%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$67.8 SEK 632

-39.72%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$34.49 SEK 322

-22.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$27.30 SEK 255

9.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$51.7 SEK 483

0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$38.59 SEK 360

-30.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$15.92 SEK 149

-60.43%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$149 SEK 1,388

193.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,094 SEK 38.2K

154.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$99.1 SEK 925

-42.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$38.23 SEK 357

16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$126 SEK 1,171

-18.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$136 SEK 1,267

-22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$793 SEK 7,395

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$530 SEK 4,942

19.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,192 SEK 11.1K

79.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$895 SEK 8,347

38.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$4,972 SEK 46.4K

-21.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$3,309 SEK 30.9K

-37.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,875 SEK 26.8K

-61.22%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Umea: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $793 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 158% 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 $85.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $367 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,694 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Umea earns 158% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $793 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 208% less than in Umea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $149 in Umea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,694 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 15% less than in Umea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.