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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,254 in Swansea versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,266 in Swansea versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,277 in Swansea versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Swansea is roughly 56% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swansea 68% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.93

$12.98 MX$223

85.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 £50.8

$52.6 MX$903

29.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$9.43 MX$162

9.76%

Cappuccino

$4.93 £3.67

$3.57 MX$61.3

38.10%

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

$2.34 £1.74

$1.61 MX$27.55

45.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.15 MX$19.81

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 £4.60

$3.15 MX$54.0

96.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 £4.97

$4.86 MX$83.4

37.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.70 MX$29.17

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.42

$2.64 MX$45.23

-27.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.90 MX$32.67

-5.26%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$2.54 MX$43.62

42.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 £6.07

$10.08 MX$173

-19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 £6.72

$8.29 MX$142

9.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 £9.73

$11.57 MX$199

13.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.32

$3.03 MX$52.0

3.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.71 MX$29.35

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$2.05 MX$35.16

11.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.56

$2.06 MX$35.36

67.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.06 MX$35.43

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.17 MX$37.25

-22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.40 MX$24.08

-25.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.12 MX$19.26

66.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.01 £16.36

$4.29 MX$73.7

413.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.88

$15.41 MX$265

-31.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.67 MX$28.74

65.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 £2.99

$3.69 MX$63.3

8.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.96

$0.38 MX$6.55

947.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.8 £73.5

$19.06 MX$327

418.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 £3.02

$1.38 MX$23.70

194.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 £1.83

$0.28 MX$4.74

778.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.83 £25.15

$5.42 MX$92.9

524.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.28 MX$21.98

51.56%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

102.43%

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

$47.2K £35.1K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

101.26%

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

$314 £233

$41.02 MX$704

664.29%

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

$15.40 £11.45

$26.92 MX$462

-42.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.33 £34.45

$29.69 MX$510

56.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 £26.70

$52.3 MX$898

-31.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 £12.04

$26.23 MX$450

-38.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 £7.52

$6.18 MX$106

63.75%

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

$1,512 £1,124

$427 MX$7,331

254.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

68.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 £42.22

$56.8 MX$975

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 £29.99

$44.83 MX$769

-10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £91.2

$105 MX$1,794

17.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 £64.2

$106 MX$1,819

-18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 £840

$995 MX$17.1K

13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 £666

$621 MX$10.7K

44.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 £1,227

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-22.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 £1,046

$1,254 MX$21.5K

12.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 £2,684

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-7.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 £2,030

$2,096 MX$36.0K

30.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,023 £2,248

$1,107 MX$19.0K

173.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.34

-46.21%

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

Last update for Swansea: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,130 in Swansea and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swansea pays 173% 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: $68.0 in Swansea vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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

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

Swansea and Mexico City differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,254 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Swansea pays 173% 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: $1,130 in Swansea versus $995 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 419% less than in Swansea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,512 in Swansea versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $2,254 in Swansea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Swansea. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Swansea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.