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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,644 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,662 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,680 in Umea.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than in Umea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Umea 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$15.43 SEK 152

-22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$83.2 SEK 820

-37.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$12.21 SEK 120

-6.55%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$4.05 SEK 39.94

-1.48%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$3.34 SEK 32.91

-50.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$2.52 SEK 24.85

-47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$8.67 SEK 85.4

-59.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$7.38 SEK 72.7

-20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.77 SEK 17.43

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$3.40 SEK 33.49

-4.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$4.03 SEK 39.72

-46.40%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.99 SEK 39.30

-27.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$11.50 SEK 113

11.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.85 SEK 107

-7.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$17.73 SEK 175

-10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.54 SEK 25.04

29.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.23 SEK 21.95

-9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.75 SEK 27.14

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.26 SEK 41.93

-44.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.69 SEK 16.63

21.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.78 SEK 17.55

6.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.45 SEK 24.10

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.36 SEK 13.42

2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$7.27 SEK 71.6

-24.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$10.44 SEK 103

69.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.32 SEK 22.88

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.41 SEK 23.77

94.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$2.96 SEK 29.14

-88.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$59.2 SEK 583

-64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$7.31 SEK 72.1

-71.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.70 SEK 16.73

-67.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$63.1 SEK 622

-90.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.71 SEK 16.89

-5.85%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$34.3K SEK 337.6K

-33.34%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$34.4K SEK 339.4K

-22.33%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$88.3 SEK 870

-26.18%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$34.13 SEK 336

-11.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$27.20 SEK 268

36.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$50.8 SEK 500

17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$35.17 SEK 347

-24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$16.76 SEK 165

-58.00%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$143 SEK 1,408

225.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$4,993 SEK 49.2K

165.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$103 SEK 1,016

-26.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$37.63 SEK 371

48.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$119 SEK 1,174

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$144 SEK 1,423

-16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$782 SEK 7,705

41.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$529 SEK 5,210

36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,161 SEK 11.4K

117.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$855 SEK 8,425

51.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$4,710 SEK 46.4K

-15.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$3,119 SEK 30.7K

-33.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$2,718 SEK 26.8K

-61.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.65

209.59%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Umea: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $782 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 162% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $83.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $356 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,644 including rent). Umea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 162% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $782 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 184% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $143 in Umea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,644 in Umea versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.