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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,102 in Preston versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,208 in Preston versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,314 in Preston versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Preston is roughly 44% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Preston 57% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 £12.38

$13.07 MX$229

27.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 £55.5

$53.8 MX$940

39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 £6.29

$9.68 MX$169

-12.60%

Cappuccino

$4.17 £3.10

$3.74 MX$65.4

11.50%

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

$2.14 £1.59

$1.62 MX$28.25

32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.16 MX$20.31

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 £4.00

$3.23 MX$56.4

66.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 £4.08

$4.74 MX$82.9

15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.65 MX$28.80

-6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.75 MX$48.15

-44.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.87 MX$32.77

-4.28%

Eggs

$3.74 £2.78

$2.50 MX$43.72

49.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 £7.69

$10.20 MX$178

1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 £6.12

$8.25 MX$144

-0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.17 £12.76

$11.82 MX$207

45.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 £2.11

$3.01 MX$52.6

-5.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.81 MX$31.67

6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 £2.34

$2.00 MX$34.96

57.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 £2.82

$2.00 MX$34.89

89.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$2.08 MX$36.45

-19.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.27 MX$39.72

-7.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 £0.76

$1.46 MX$25.47

-29.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.08 MX$18.82

63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.60 £13.83

$4.35 MX$76.0

327.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 £7.05

$16.99 MX$297

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 £2.12

$1.73 MX$30.31

64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.44

$3.58 MX$62.5

-46.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.06

$0.39 MX$6.77

612.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 £87.5

$18.69 MX$327

529.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 £2.00

$1.33 MX$23.18

102.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.28 MX$4.89

446.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.08 £11.96

$5.25 MX$91.8

206.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.34 MX$23.37

45.52%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

100.24%

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

$42.1K £31.3K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

76.71%

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

$287 £213

$40.69 MX$712

604.33%

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

$16.15 £12.01

$26.87 MX$470

-39.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.67 £32.47

$30.51 MX$534

43.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 £31.50

$52.8 MX$923

-19.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 £12.70

$26.65 MX$466

-35.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 £9.64

$6.51 MX$114

99.08%

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

$1,310 £974

$428 MX$7,485

205.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,845 £6,575

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-15.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 £60.0

$57.3 MX$1,001

40.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.03 £31.99

$45.50 MX$796

-5.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 £55.7

$104 MX$1,819

-28.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.4 £50.8

$108 MX$1,885

-36.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £770

$1,003 MX$17.5K

3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 £646

$623 MX$10.9K

39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 £1,486

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-5.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 £1,258

$1,218 MX$21.3K

38.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,346 £2,487

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-13.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 £1,727

$2,033 MX$35.5K

14.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,083 £2,292

$1,038 MX$18.1K

197.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.34

-50.88%

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

Last update for Preston: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,036 in Preston and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Preston pays 197% 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: $75.0 in Preston vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $292 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

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

Preston and Mexico City differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,102 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 197% higher in Preston, 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: $1,036 in Preston versus $1,003 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 529% less than in Preston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,310 in Preston versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,102 in Preston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Preston. 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 44% less than in Preston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.