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: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 77% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 93% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$13.07 MX$229

23.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$53.8 MX$940

105.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$9.68 MX$169

20.66%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$3.74 MX$65.4

39.04%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$1.62 MX$28.25

102.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$1.16 MX$20.31

112.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$3.23 MX$56.4

163.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$4.74 MX$82.9

75.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$1.65 MX$28.80

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$2.75 MX$48.15

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$1.87 MX$32.77

117.65%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$2.50 MX$43.72

88.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$10.20 MX$178

25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$8.25 MX$144

60.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$11.82 MX$207

64.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$3.01 MX$52.6

19.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$1.81 MX$31.67

60.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$2.00 MX$34.96

69.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$2.00 MX$34.89

129.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$2.08 MX$36.45

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$2.27 MX$39.72

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$1.46 MX$25.47

72.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$1.08 MX$18.82

49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$4.35 MX$76.0

85.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$16.99 MX$297

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$1.73 MX$30.31

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$3.58 MX$62.5

-34.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$0.39 MX$6.77

1066.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$18.69 MX$327

499.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$1.33 MX$23.18

381.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$0.28 MX$4.89

492.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$5.25 MX$91.8

1104.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.34 MX$23.37

38.81%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

70.20%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

44.94%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$40.69 MX$712

458.34%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$26.87 MX$470

10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$30.51 MX$534

37.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$52.8 MX$923

-12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$26.65 MX$466

42.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$6.51 MX$114

173.12%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$428 MX$7,485

-61.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-37.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$57.3 MX$1,001

70.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$45.50 MX$796

9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$104 MX$1,819

15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$108 MX$1,885

87.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$623 MX$10.9K

74.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

30.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

47.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

202.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

219.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

251.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.34

-63.32%

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

Last update for Stockholm: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 251% 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: $110 in Stockholm vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $292 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 77% in total monthly costs ($2,582 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 251% 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: $1,566 in Stockholm versus $1,003 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 499% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $164 in Stockholm versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,582 in Stockholm, a $2,000 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 77% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.