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: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 71% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 87% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 150

$13.18 MX$228

22.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,045

$53.9 MX$932

107.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 108

$9.42 MX$163

22.93%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.40

$3.55 MX$61.4

43.10%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.79

$1.62 MX$27.98

103.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.35

$1.11 MX$19.27

125.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 80.9

$3.12 MX$54.0

177.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 77.5

$4.63 MX$80.1

79.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.03

$1.70 MX$29.43

1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.29

$2.72 MX$47.02

27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.28

$1.91 MX$33.07

108.90%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.00

$2.54 MX$43.86

85.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$10.03 MX$174

29.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$8.09 MX$140

59.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 183

$11.62 MX$201

68.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.73

$2.97 MX$51.3

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.37

$1.81 MX$31.24

56.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.62

$2.01 MX$34.82

68.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 42.88

$2.03 MX$35.20

126.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.70

$2.12 MX$36.75

-10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.54

$2.27 MX$39.25

-17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.27

$1.40 MX$24.22

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.13 MX$19.55

42.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$4.27 MX$73.9

83.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 120

$15.56 MX$269

-17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.15

$1.76 MX$30.39

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.95

$3.60 MX$62.2

-37.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.60

$0.38 MX$6.62

1102.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,028

$19.18 MX$332

474.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.5

$1.38 MX$23.79

354.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.67

$0.28 MX$4.78

460.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 583

$5.45 MX$94.2

1046.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.30 MX$22.55

40.00%

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

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

76.40%

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

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

53.12%

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

$229 SEK 2,133

$40.86 MX$707

459.57%

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

$28.82 SEK 269

$26.81 MX$464

7.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 389

$29.96 MX$518

39.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 435

$52.0 MX$900

-10.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 359

$26.84 MX$464

43.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 165

$6.30 MX$109

180.16%

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

$165 SEK 1,541

$436 MX$7,544

-62.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-36.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 909

$56.7 MX$980

71.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 461

$44.38 MX$768

11.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,090

$103 MX$1,780

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,907

$106 MX$1,825

93.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

55.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

$631 MX$10.9K

75.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

45.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

213.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

224.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

238.92%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 239% 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: $112 in Stockholm vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $288 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 71% in total monthly costs ($2,505 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stockholm pays 239% more on average, 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: $1,589 in Stockholm versus $1,022 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 474% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $165 in Stockholm versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,505 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 71% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.