Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and the United Kingdom

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico: $1,274 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico
United Kingdom
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,274
/mo nomad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico and in the United Kingdom

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico and in the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,274 in Mexico versus $2,462 in the United Kingdom.

  • Mexico $1,274
  • United Kingdom $2,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in Mexico versus $3,600 in the United Kingdom.

  • Mexico $2,010
  • United Kingdom $3,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,746 in Mexico versus $4,738 in the United Kingdom.

  • Mexico $2,746
  • United Kingdom $4,738

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $730–$2,625 in Mexico. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in Mexico costs about 48% less than in the United Kingdom on average.

Mexico (6% below) and the United Kingdom (81% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.63 MX$200
$21.48 £16.04
-50.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.29 MX$813
$85.7 £64.0
-49.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.94 MX$168
$10.61 £7.92
-15.74%
Cappuccino
$3.61 MX$67.7
$4.91 £3.67
-26.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 MX$27.70
$2.66 £1.99
-44.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00 MX$18.77
$1.87 £1.39
-46.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 MX$50.0
$6.63 £4.95
-59.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 MX$82.0
$6.84 £5.11
-36.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 MX$29.76
$1.68 £1.25
-5.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$1.72 £1.28
55.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 MX$31.57
$2.17 £1.62
-22.58%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.38
$4.00 £2.99
-37.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.79 MX$165
$9.42 £7.03
-6.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.97 MX$150
$9.19 £6.86
-13.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.50 MX$216
$14.77 £11.03
-22.14%
Apples (1kg)
$2.76 MX$51.7
$2.97 £2.21
-7.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 MX$28.61
$1.62 £1.21
-6.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.95 MX$36.70
$2.85 £2.13
-31.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 MX$36.93
$3.52 £2.63
-44.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.84
$1.83 £1.37
7.10%
Onion (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.08
$1.61 £1.20
26.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.90
$1.25 £0.93
14.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 MX$21.39
$1.66 £1.24
-31.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.52 MX$84.9
$23.65 £17.66
-80.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.87 MX$204
$10.50 £7.84
3.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 MX$33.14
$2.98 £2.23
-40.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 MX$59.9
$3.51 £2.62
-9.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.62 MX$11.64
$3.98 £2.97
-84.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.85 MX$560
$107 £80.2
-72.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.66 MX$49.97
$5.18 £3.87
-48.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 MX$51.0
$2.35 £1.75
15.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.63 MX$200
$26.84 £20.04
-60.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 MX$26.24
$1.99 £1.48
-29.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.0K
$39.4K £29.5K
-39.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$449.0K
$40.5K £30.2K
-40.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.2 MX$1,299
$327 £244
-78.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 MX$441
$18.21 £13.60
29.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.00 MX$544
$43.60 £32.56
-33.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.74 MX$652
$42.36 £31.63
-17.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.46 MX$328
$18.22 £13.60
-4.17%
Cinema Ticket
$5.24 MX$98.5
$13.85 £10.34
-62.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$261 MX$4,892
$1,868 £1,395
-86.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,999 MX$112.6K
$22.6K £16.9K
-73.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.8 MX$1,048
$92.9 £69.4
-39.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.58 MX$781
$45.92 £34.29
-9.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.3 MX$1,809
$102 £75.9
-5.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.1 MX$1,691
$102 £76.3
-11.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$713 MX$13.4K
$1,342 £1,002
-46.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$477 MX$8,954
$1,073 £801
-55.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,358 MX$25.5K
$2,231 £1,666
-39.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$906 MX$17.0K
$1,742 £1,301
-47.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,597 MX$48.7K
$5,601 £4,182
-53.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,565 MX$29.4K
$4,265 £3,185
-63.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$773 MX$14.5K
$3,349 £2,501
-76.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.43
5.32
114.85%

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

Last update for Mexico: October 25, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico
$477
United Kingdom
$1.1K 125% $596
Groceries & Markets
Mexico
$267
United Kingdom
$307 15.1% $40
Eating Out
Mexico
$187
United Kingdom
$328 75% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico
$128
United Kingdom
$154 20.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico
$122
United Kingdom
$389 220% $267
Getting Around
Mexico
$49
United Kingdom
$140 189% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico
$45
United Kingdom
$70 54.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $624 in Mexico, $1,287 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,113 in Mexico City vs $2,811 in London.

National salary averages: $722 in Mexico, $3,251 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 106% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 93% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 226% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 4.5 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🕒 Local time
18:34 6:34 PM
00:34 12:34 AM
6 h ahead of Mexico
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
124,777,324
67,326,569
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico United Kingdom 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico
  • United Kingdom

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Mexico and the United Kingdom?
At $1,274 per month in Mexico and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, Mexico comes out about 48% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Mexico: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $624 in Mexico. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Mexico or in the United Kingdom?
In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Mexico or to the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: Mexico wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Mexico vs other spots: cost of living compared

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