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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Motherwell versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Motherwell versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Motherwell versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Motherwell is roughly 52% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Motherwell 67% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.86

$13.29 MX$231

50.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 £60.5

$53.8 MX$933

51.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.52

$9.29 MX$161

9.26%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.54

$3.61 MX$62.6

32.41%

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

$2.38 £1.76

$1.56 MX$27.03

52.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.12 MX$19.46

49.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 £4.57

$3.13 MX$54.3

97.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$4.71 MX$81.7

33.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.70 MX$29.54

-3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.77 MX$48.03

-42.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 £1.71

$1.96 MX$34.05

17.86%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.94

$2.60 MX$45.21

52.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 £7.48

$9.94 MX$173

1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 £6.49

$8.10 MX$141

8.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 £10.21

$11.50 MX$200

19.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.34

$2.87 MX$49.84

9.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.73 MX$30.07

-8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$2.00 MX$34.73

40.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.61

$2.04 MX$35.38

73.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.08 MX$36.14

-21.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$2.20 MX$38.12

-32.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.45 MX$25.24

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.07 MX$18.63

41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.97 £14.05

$4.27 MX$74.2

344.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 £8.01

$14.32 MX$249

-24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 £1.98

$1.76 MX$30.62

52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$3.70 MX$64.2

-13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.51

$0.35 MX$6.12

865.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 £66.6

$19.19 MX$333

368.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 £4.13

$1.34 MX$23.18

315.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.12

$0.28 MX$4.83

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.55 £17.45

$5.33 MX$92.6

341.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.34 MX$23.27

39.55%

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

$38.7K £28.7K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

102.43%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

72.62%

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

$295 £218

$39.86 MX$692

639.66%

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

$17.43 £12.91

$26.78 MX$465

-34.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.61 £31.57

$29.36 MX$510

45.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 £34.64

$53.4 MX$927

-12.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 £5.05

$26.09 MX$453

-73.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 £9.93

$6.40 MX$111

109.38%

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

$1,588 £1,177

$440 MX$7,647

260.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

68.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 £61.3

$57.6 MX$1,000

43.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 £32.22

$45.02 MX$781

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £68.8

$104 MX$1,801

-10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 £72.6

$108 MX$1,874

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 £897

$1,013 MX$17.6K

19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 £736

$630 MX$10.9K

57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 £1,534

$2,162 MX$37.5K

-4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,236

$1,222 MX$21.2K

36.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,606 £2,672

$3,793 MX$65.8K

-4.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.34

-50.35%

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

Last update for Motherwell: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Motherwell and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Motherwell vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $285 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

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

Motherwell and Mexico City differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,251 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,377 in Motherwell and $2,226 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,210 in Motherwell versus $1,013 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 369% less than in Motherwell. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,588 in Motherwell versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,251 in Motherwell, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Motherwell. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Motherwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.