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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,814 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,828 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $3,842 in Varnamo.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 18% less than in Varnamo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Varnamo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$12.57 SEK 117

3.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$87.3 SEK 812

-39.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$12.19 SEK 113

-20.26%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$5.05 SEK 46.93

-25.74%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$2.84 SEK 26.38

-44.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$2.07 SEK 19.28

-45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$8.00 SEK 74.4

-60.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$7.51 SEK 69.8

-37.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.60 SEK 14.90

1.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.13 SEK 19.83

27.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.94 SEK 27.34

-36.05%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.44 SEK 41.29

-43.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$13.16 SEK 122

-23.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$11.74 SEK 109

-29.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$16.83 SEK 157

-29.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.17 SEK 29.50

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.82 SEK 26.23

-37.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.77 SEK 25.75

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.52 SEK 42.07

-56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.69 SEK 15.69

27.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.59 SEK 14.83

37.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.66 SEK 24.78

-47.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.28 SEK 11.89

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$12.22 SEK 114

16.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.02 SEK 18.80

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.25 SEK 20.91

63.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$3.48 SEK 32.36

-88.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$73.7 SEK 686

-74.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$5.61 SEK 52.2

-75.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$2.56 SEK 23.77

-88.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$63.8 SEK 593

-91.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.89 SEK 17.61

-28.57%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

-42.19%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

-32.03%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$123 SEK 1,141

-66.74%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$29.26 SEK 272

-6.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$40.11 SEK 373

-24.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$41.27 SEK 384

29.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$24.88 SEK 231

5.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$17.70 SEK 165

-64.58%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$179 SEK 1,664

143.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

151.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$80.2 SEK 746

-29.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$61.0 SEK 567

-26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$106 SEK 986

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$127 SEK 1,181

-15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$833 SEK 7,743

20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$663 SEK 6,169

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$1,065 SEK 9,902

16.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

-12.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

-22.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

-50.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.8

136.25%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $833 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 103% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $87.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $355 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Varnamo differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,814 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Varnamo earns 103% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $833 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 295% less than in Varnamo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $179 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,814 in Varnamo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Varnamo. 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 Varnamo 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 22% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.