Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,416 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,416

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selfoss and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Selfoss and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,416 in Selfoss versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Selfoss $3,416
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,439 in Selfoss versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Selfoss $2,439
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,461 in Selfoss versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Selfoss $1,461
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Selfoss is roughly 112% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Selfoss 151% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.39 ISK 2,477

$10.35 MX$193

97.00%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.18 ISK 1,480

$3.19 MX$59.5

281.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ISK 215

$1.72 MX$32.13

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$7.65 ISK 930

$3.04 MX$56.6

151.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 ISK 553

$1.94 MX$36.17

134.54%

Eggs

$6.49 ISK 788

$2.89 MX$53.8

124.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 ISK 2,096

$10.97 MX$204

57.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$9.25 MX$172

133.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.60 ISK 4,082

$15.13 MX$282

122.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ISK 343

$3.05 MX$56.8

-7.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 ISK 328

$1.94 MX$36.17

39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 ISK 330

$2.03 MX$37.73

33.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.25 ISK 881

$2.31 MX$43.12

213.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 ISK 394

$2.04 MX$37.91

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 ISK 252

$1.80 MX$33.53

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.70 ISK 449

$1.48 MX$27.56

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ISK 163

$1.27 MX$23.62

5.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.61 ISK 1,897

$5.30 MX$98.8

194.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ISK 140

$4.25 MX$79.2

-72.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

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

$27.39 MX$510

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,041

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,771 ISK 336.6K

$710 MX$13.2K

289.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Selfoss: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

19:02 7:02 PM

6 h behind Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.39 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.39 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

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Selfoss Mexico City 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,416 in Selfoss and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,124 in Selfoss and $2,412 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,416 per month in Selfoss versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Mexico City is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,416 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. 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.