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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,673 in Northam versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Northam versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,853 in Northam versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Northam is roughly 59% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northam 94% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.47 A$29.72

$12.14 MX$205

76.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 A$121

$53.9 MX$911

62.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$14.70

$11.09 MX$187

-4.24%

Cappuccino

$4.61 A$6.38

$4.10 MX$69.3

12.44%

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

$2.97 A$4.11

$1.68 MX$28.44

76.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 A$3.23

$1.39 MX$23.47

67.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 A$11.89

$3.33 MX$56.3

157.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 A$12.07

$5.88 MX$99.4

48.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.42

$1.85 MX$31.30

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.66

$3.17 MX$53.6

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.83

$2.07 MX$35.01

-1.45%

Eggs

$4.79 A$6.63

$2.93 MX$49.51

63.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.33 A$8.76

$12.59 MX$213

-49.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 A$13.32

$10.11 MX$171

-4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$19.68

$16.09 MX$272

-11.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.05

$3.39 MX$57.3

-13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.55

$2.08 MX$35.14

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 A$4.83

$2.12 MX$35.85

64.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 A$7.52

$2.41 MX$40.82

125.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 A$4.11

$2.13 MX$36.00

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.80

$2.01 MX$33.90

0.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.33

$1.55 MX$26.13

55.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 A$1.03

$1.36 MX$23.08

-44.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.33 A$60.0

$5.77 MX$97.5

650.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.50 A$4.85

$17.74 MX$300

-80.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.52 A$6.25

$2.07 MX$35.00

118.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.83

$4.61 MX$78.0

-24.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.38

$0.37 MX$6.19

754.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 A$117

$21.18 MX$358

299.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 A$5.27

$2.05 MX$34.73

85.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$1.99

$0.58 MX$9.75

148.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.01 A$56.8

$6.07 MX$103

575.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.55 MX$26.25

-12.90%

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

$28.6K A$39.6K

$22.9K MX$386.8K

25.10%

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

$30.8K A$42.6K

$27.2K MX$460.5K

13.09%

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

$207 A$287

$67.4 MX$1,140

207.15%

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

$25.47 A$35.26

$30.62 MX$518

-16.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 A$87.9

$37.24 MX$630

70.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 A$80.6

$61.5 MX$1,039

-5.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 A$25.45

$27.12 MX$459

-32.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.97 A$23.49

$7.11 MX$120

138.68%

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

$2,367 A$3,277

$456 MX$7,714

418.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K A$33.0K

$13.7K MX$231.5K

74.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 A$106

$74.2 MX$1,255

3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 A$96.9

$57.0 MX$964

22.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$168

$115 MX$1,951

5.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 A$220

$122 MX$2,055

30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 A$2,034

$1,148 MX$19.4K

28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 A$1,770

$709 MX$12.0K

80.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,162

$2,577 MX$43.6K

-11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 A$2,576

$1,295 MX$21.9K

43.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,713 A$9,295

$4,005 MX$67.7K

67.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,276 A$7,305

$2,130 MX$36.0K

147.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

11.3

-47.61%

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

Last update for Northam: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Northam and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $87.0 in Northam vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $345, with Northam cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Northam and Mexico City differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,673 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,010 in Northam and $2,515 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: $1,469 in Northam versus $1,148 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 300% less than in Northam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,367 in Northam versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,673 in Northam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Northam. 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, Northam 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 59% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.