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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,084 in Mortsel versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,195 in Mortsel versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,306 in Mortsel versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Mortsel is roughly 41% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mortsel 56% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.58 €20.73

$13.16 MX$230

79.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €101

$53.6 MX$937

114.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 €11.32

$9.55 MX$167

34.87%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.61

$3.72 MX$65.1

10.48%

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

$3.44 €3.03

$1.57 MX$27.42

119.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.80

$1.16 MX$20.22

174.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.84

$3.18 MX$55.7

72.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €4.04

$4.63 MX$81.1

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.71 MX$29.83

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.37

$2.62 MX$45.77

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.10

$1.89 MX$33.04

26.46%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.67

$2.60 MX$45.40

60.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.26 €15.17

$9.91 MX$173

74.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 €10.37

$8.22 MX$144

43.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.73 €19.10

$11.78 MX$206

84.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.57

$3.00 MX$52.4

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.06

$1.80 MX$31.48

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.05

$2.07 MX$36.27

12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.80

$1.97 MX$34.41

61.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.67

$2.07 MX$36.24

-8.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.17 MX$38.04

-1.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.40 MX$24.54

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.76

$1.07 MX$18.80

-19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.76 €11.22

$4.12 MX$72.0

209.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 €7.91

$17.42 MX$305

-48.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.78

$1.68 MX$29.31

20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.05

$3.65 MX$63.8

-36.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 €2.30

$0.38 MX$6.65

589.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 €48.95

$18.71 MX$327

197.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 €5.15

$1.33 MX$23.25

340.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.22

$0.30 MX$5.30

743.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.35 €40.75

$5.51 MX$96.4

741.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.67

$1.31 MX$22.84

45.04%

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

$33.9K €29.8K

$19.2K MX$335.3K

76.85%

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

$33.3K €29.3K

$23.7K MX$415.4K

40.31%

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

$228 €200

$41.14 MX$720

453.28%

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

$23.13 €20.34

$27.74 MX$485

-16.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 €44.98

$30.13 MX$527

69.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.11 €33.50

$53.7 MX$940

-29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.96 €14.91

$25.98 MX$454

-34.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 €13.04

$6.49 MX$114

128.66%

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

$578 €509

$437 MX$7,638

32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €12.1K

$10.5K MX$182.9K

31.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €99.0

$58.3 MX$1,020

92.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.90 €43.87

$45.86 MX$802

8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €92.2

$101 MX$1,775

3.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €145

$107 MX$1,863

54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 €806

$1,005 MX$17.6K

-8.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 €672

$634 MX$11.1K

20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,204

$2,148 MX$37.6K

-36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €972

$1,247 MX$21.8K

-11.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,604 €3,168

$3,859 MX$67.5K

-6.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,024 €2,658

$2,085 MX$36.5K

45.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,406 €2,115

$1,072 MX$18.8K

124.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.34

-69.14%

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

Last update for Mortsel: July 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $917 in Mortsel and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mortsel pays 124% 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: $115 in Mortsel vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $291 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

Mortsel vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mortsel and Mexico City differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($2,084 vs $1,481 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% higher in Mortsel, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $917 in Mortsel versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 198% less than in Mortsel. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $578 in Mortsel versus $437 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $2,084 in Mortsel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Mortsel. 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, Mortsel and Mexico City 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 41% less than in Mortsel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.