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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,732 in Stockholm versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Stockholm versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Stockholm versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 66% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 99% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 SEK 177

$12.11 MX$206

52.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 SEK 988

$52.2 MX$887

96.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 SEK 110

$10.90 MX$185

4.86%

Cappuccino

$5.35 SEK 51.5

$4.05 MX$68.8

32.10%

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

$3.89 SEK 37.43

$1.72 MX$29.13

126.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SEK 30.85

$1.38 MX$23.40

131.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 81.5

$3.47 MX$58.9

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 SEK 88.5

$5.81 MX$98.7

58.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.80

$1.85 MX$31.48

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 SEK 40.14

$3.22 MX$54.7

29.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 SEK 39.39

$2.09 MX$35.42

95.69%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 49.96

$2.91 MX$49.41

78.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$12.49 MX$212

5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.55 SEK 131

$10.11 MX$172

34.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 SEK 215

$15.89 MX$270

40.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.19

$3.31 MX$56.3

7.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.63

$2.13 MX$36.12

39.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.57

$2.19 MX$37.20

44.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 45.23

$2.45 MX$41.57

91.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.97

$2.19 MX$37.18

-14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.37

$1.90 MX$32.35

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$1.62 MX$27.44

53.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$1.35 MX$22.92

84.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 SEK 87.7

$5.43 MX$92.1

67.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 SEK 122

$17.59 MX$299

-27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.66

$2.07 MX$35.12

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.64

$4.75 MX$80.6

-46.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 SEK 44.44

$0.34 MX$5.77

1255.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 SEK 1,085

$21.58 MX$366

422.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 59.7

$2.04 MX$34.65

203.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 14.74

$0.58 MX$9.82

163.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 570

$5.97 MX$101

891.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.55

$1.62 MX$27.44

12.35%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.1K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

51.17%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.3K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

31.76%

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

$281 SEK 2,709

$65.2 MX$1,108

331.09%

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

$22.69 SEK 218

$29.87 MX$507

-24.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 SEK 392

$36.55 MX$621

11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 SEK 463

$61.0 MX$1,036

-21.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.41 SEK 399

$26.70 MX$453

55.09%

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 SEK 191

$6.85 MX$116

188.76%

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

$172 SEK 1,658

$453 MX$7,700

-62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K SEK 162.2K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

25.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 SEK 1,157

$75.0 MX$1,273

60.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 557

$55.3 MX$939

4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 SEK 1,365

$114 MX$1,929

24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 SEK 1,952

$123 MX$2,083

65.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 SEK 17.2K

$1,134 MX$19.3K

57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$712 MX$12.1K

53.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 SEK 32.0K

$2,571 MX$43.7K

29.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 SEK 17.9K

$1,311 MX$22.3K

41.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K SEK 113.0K

$3,993 MX$67.8K

193.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,611 SEK 63.7K

$2,095 MX$35.6K

215.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 SEK 35.3K

$1,047 MX$17.8K

249.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

11.3

-70.71%

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

Last update for Stockholm: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Stockholm and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 250% 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: $103 in Stockholm vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $345 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

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

Stockholm and Mexico City differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($2,732 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 250% higher in Stockholm, 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: $1,787 in Stockholm 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 422% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $172 in Stockholm 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 $2,732 in Stockholm, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. 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.

Safety-wise, Stockholm 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.