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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,757 in Romford versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,239 in Romford versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,721 in Romford versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Romford is roughly 67% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Romford 101% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.58 £18.19

$12.11 MX$205

102.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £79.6

$52.2 MX$882

106.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £7.99

$10.90 MX$184

-0.92%

Cappuccino

$4.80 £3.55

$4.05 MX$68.4

18.52%

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

$2.74 £2.02

$1.72 MX$28.96

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.38 MX$23.26

42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 £6.08

$3.47 MX$58.5

136.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 £5.43

$5.81 MX$98.1

26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.85 MX$31.30

4.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 £1.33

$3.22 MX$54.4

-44.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £1.99

$2.09 MX$35.21

28.71%

Eggs

$5.03 £3.72

$2.91 MX$49.12

72.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 £7.52

$12.49 MX$211

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.01

$10.11 MX$171

-6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 £11.79

$15.89 MX$268

0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.24

$3.31 MX$56.0

-8.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$2.13 MX$35.91

-31.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 £2.55

$2.19 MX$36.99

57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 £2.59

$2.45 MX$41.33

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.19 MX$36.96

-24.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.90 MX$32.16

-0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.62 MX$27.28

-20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.37

$1.35 MX$22.79

37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.32 £17.99

$5.43 MX$91.6

347.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 £9.96

$17.59 MX$297

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.45

$2.07 MX$34.92

60.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 £3.14

$4.75 MX$80.1

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 £3.59

$0.34 MX$5.74

1329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 £71.8

$21.58 MX$364

349.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 £4.20

$2.04 MX$34.45

178.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 £2.08

$0.58 MX$9.76

384.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.77 £18.32

$5.97 MX$101

314.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.58

$1.62 MX$27.28

31.48%

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

$39.7K £29.4K

$22.8K MX$385.2K

73.98%

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

$40.9K £30.3K

$26.7K MX$450.2K

53.54%

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

$372 £275

$65.2 MX$1,102

469.67%

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

$18.84 £13.94

$29.87 MX$504

-36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.78 £33.87

$36.55 MX$617

25.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 £37.88

$61.0 MX$1,030

-16.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 £12.92

$6.85 MX$116

155.04%

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

$2,653 £1,962

$453 MX$7,656

485.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K £22.6K

$13.4K MX$225.8K

128.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 £69.1

$75.0 MX$1,266

24.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 £35.30

$55.3 MX$934

-13.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 £69.5

$114 MX$1,918

-17.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 £97.9

$123 MX$2,071

7.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 £1,415

$1,134 MX$19.1K

68.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 £898

$712 MX$12.0K

70.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,426 £2,535

$2,571 MX$43.4K

33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 £1,711

$1,311 MX$22.1K

76.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,231 £3,870

$3,993 MX$67.4K

31.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,479 £2,574

$2,095 MX$35.4K

66.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,847 £2,106

$1,047 MX$17.7K

171.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-55.75%

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

Last update for Romford: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,912 in Romford and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Romford pays 172% 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: $108 in Romford vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $345, with Romford 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

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

Romford and Mexico City differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,757 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% higher in Romford, 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: $1,912 in Romford versus $1,134 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 350% less than in Romford. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,653 in Romford versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,757 in Romford, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Romford. 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 67% less than in Romford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.