Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stafford and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,238 in Stafford, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stafford, United Kingdom
Mexico City, Mexico
Stafford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,238
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stafford 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 Stafford and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,238 in Stafford versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

  • Stafford $2,238
  • Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,350 in Stafford versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

  • Stafford $3,350
  • Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,461 in Stafford versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

  • Stafford $4,461
  • Mexico City $3,537

Living in Stafford is roughly 34% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stafford 66% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.50 £15.95
$10.59 MX$197
103.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.0 £55.6
$52.0 MX$967
44.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 £7.82
$10.73 MX$200
-1.77%
Cappuccino
$4.71 £3.50
$3.80 MX$70.7
23.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 £1.53
$1.61 MX$30.01
28.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 £1.30
$1.21 MX$22.55
44.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.65 £4.93
$3.18 MX$59.1
109.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.21 £3.87
$5.44 MX$101
-4.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 £1.33
$1.72 MX$31.96
4.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 £1.15
$2.97 MX$55.2
-47.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 £1.56
$1.93 MX$35.84
8.81%
Eggs
$3.56 £2.64
$2.77 MX$51.6
28.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.25 £7.60
$11.67 MX$217
-12.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.07 £6.73
$9.48 MX$176
-4.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 £9.49
$15.37 MX$286
-16.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.89 £2.14
$3.10 MX$57.8
-6.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 £1.30
$1.96 MX$36.49
-10.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.67 £2.72
$1.98 MX$36.88
85.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.43 £2.55
$2.34 MX$43.46
46.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 £1.54
$2.02 MX$37.66
2.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 £1.34
$1.82 MX$33.95
-0.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 £0.88
$1.54 MX$28.74
-23.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.23
$1.31 MX$24.42
26.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$21.78 £16.15
$5.35 MX$99.6
307.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.50 £7.04
$16.19 MX$301
-41.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.39 £2.51
$1.96 MX$36.46
72.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.87 £2.87
$4.35 MX$81.0
-11.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.73 £3.50
$0.30 MX$5.67
1476.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.5 £68.6
$19.49 MX$363
374.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.75 £2.04
$1.92 MX$35.68
43.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 £1.01
$0.47 MX$8.80
189.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.75 £19.10
$5.41 MX$101
375.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 £1.56
$1.48 MX$27.61
41.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K £28.5K
$21.4K MX$397.7K
79.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K £30.2K
$23.8K MX$442.1K
71.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$294 £218
$62.0 MX$1,154
374.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.19 £14.97
$28.47 MX$530
-29.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.52 £31.53
$34.11 MX$635
24.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.64 £30.14
$58.4 MX$1,087
-30.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57 £14.51
$24.50 MX$456
-20.12%
Cinema Ticket
$15.81 £11.72
$6.59 MX$123
139.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,250 £927
$434 MX$8,081
187.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,719 £5,724
$14.0K MX$261.2K
-45.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.5 £56.0
$68.4 MX$1,272
10.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.03 £34.88
$54.8 MX$1,020
-14.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.7 £62.8
$111 MX$2,063
-23.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.2 £72.8
$116 MX$2,159
-15.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,149 £852
$1,179 MX$21.9K
-2.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$926 £687
$771 MX$14.3K
20.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,596 £1,184
$2,570 MX$47.8K
-37.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,639 £1,215
$1,420 MX$26.4K
15.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,986 £2,956
$3,586 MX$66.7K
11.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,330 £2,470
$2,064 MX$38.4K
61.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stafford
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,998 £2,224
$1,003 MX$18.7K
199.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.37
11.35
-52.69%

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

Last update for Stafford: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stafford
$926
Mexico City
$771 16.8% $155
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stafford
$357
Mexico City
$125 65.1% $232
Eating Out
Stafford
$319
Mexico City
$201 37.2% $119
Groceries & Markets
Stafford
$306
Mexico City
$324 5.9% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Stafford
$137
Mexico City
$158 14.6% $20
Getting Around
Stafford
$121
Mexico City
$25 79.3% $96
Sport & Entertainment
Stafford
$72
Mexico City
$72 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,149 in Stafford and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stafford pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Stafford vs $52 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $306 vs $324, with Stafford cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Stafford
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
23:13 11:13 PM
17:13 5:13 PM
6 h behind Stafford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
71,673
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stafford Mexico City 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Stafford
  • 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
Stafford vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Stafford and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,238 in Stafford and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Stafford or Mexico City?
Average pay in Stafford is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Stafford and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,149 in Stafford versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Stafford and in Mexico City?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 79% less than in Stafford. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Stafford and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $1,250 in Stafford versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How far does $3,000 go in Stafford compared to Mexico City?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Stafford and Mexico City?
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.
How do I decide between Stafford and Mexico City?
It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Stafford on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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