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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Retford versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,360 in Retford versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Retford versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Retford costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Retford is 16% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 £11.22

$12.11 MX$205

25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £49.37

$52.2 MX$882

27.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 £5.44

$10.90 MX$184

-32.57%

Cappuccino

$4.11 £3.04

$4.05 MX$68.4

1.48%

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

$1.82 £1.35

$1.72 MX$28.96

5.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.38 MX$23.26

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 £3.24

$3.47 MX$58.5

26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 £3.20

$5.81 MX$98.1

-25.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.85 MX$31.30

-0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.42

$3.22 MX$54.4

-40.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$2.09 MX$35.21

-33.01%

Eggs

$4.86 £3.59

$2.91 MX$49.12

67.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 £8.43

$12.49 MX$211

-8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 £3.10

$10.11 MX$171

-58.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 £9.44

$15.89 MX$268

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$3.31 MX$56.0

-58.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$2.13 MX$35.91

-35.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.19 MX$36.99

-38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.45 MX$41.33

-29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.08

$2.19 MX$36.96

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.15

$1.90 MX$32.16

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 £0.31

$1.62 MX$27.28

-74.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.35 MX$22.79

18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.60 £17.46

$5.43 MX$91.6

334.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 £5.89

$17.59 MX$297

-54.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$2.07 MX$34.92

-16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.54

$4.75 MX$80.1

-56.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.04

$0.34 MX$5.74

711.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.64 £10.09

$2.04 MX$34.45

568.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 £2.95

$0.58 MX$9.76

587.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.62 MX$27.28

27.78%

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

$40.4K £29.9K

$22.8K MX$385.2K

77.32%

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

$44.4K £32.9K

$26.7K MX$450.2K

66.70%

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

$353 £261

$65.2 MX$1,102

440.73%

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

$28.89 £21.38

$29.87 MX$504

-3.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.34 £35.02

$36.55 MX$617

29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 £12.21

$6.85 MX$116

140.88%

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

$1,986 £1,469

$453 MX$7,656

338.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K £18.2K

$13.4K MX$225.8K

83.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 £64.7

$75.0 MX$1,266

16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 £45.46

$55.3 MX$934

11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.0

$114 MX$1,918

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 £118

$123 MX$2,071

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 £847

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 £814

$1,311 MX$22.1K

-16.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,197 £1,626

$3,993 MX$67.4K

-44.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 £1,508

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-2.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 £1,292

$1,047 MX$17.7K

66.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

11.3

-53.10%

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

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Retford pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Retford vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $345, with Retford 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

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

Retford and Mexico City differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $1,646 including rent). Retford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Retford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,986 in Retford versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Retford – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,159 in Retford versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Retford but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Retford 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, Retford 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 Retford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.