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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,572 in Swords versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,724 in Swords versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,876 in Swords versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Swords is roughly 75% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swords 92% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.36 €15.66

$13.30 MX$231

38.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.5 €80.6

$53.8 MX$932

75.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 €8.94

$9.42 MX$163

11.25%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.75

$3.59 MX$62.3

22.56%

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

$2.34 €2.00

$1.62 MX$28.13

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.12 MX$19.49

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €5.93

$3.25 MX$56.3

114.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 €5.28

$4.65 MX$80.6

33.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.24

$1.64 MX$28.37

-11.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.81

$2.65 MX$46.00

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.96 MX$33.99

2.04%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.44

$2.54 MX$44.08

58.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 €9.62

$9.97 MX$173

13.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 €9.01

$8.39 MX$145

25.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 €10.22

$11.83 MX$205

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.86 MX$49.62

2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.73 MX$30.05

14.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.35

$1.99 MX$34.50

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €2.92

$2.05 MX$35.51

66.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.17

$2.06 MX$35.64

-33.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.22

$2.28 MX$39.54

-37.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.45 MX$25.05

-7.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.09 MX$18.83

52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.62 €16.74

$4.27 MX$73.9

359.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 €12.07

$14.67 MX$254

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.10

$1.76 MX$30.58

106.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.40

$3.57 MX$61.8

11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 €2.06

$0.38 MX$6.67

534.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 €85.2

$18.73 MX$325

433.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 €4.15

$1.39 MX$24.09

250.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.30 MX$5.26

596.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.46 €32.80

$5.41 MX$93.8

610.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$1.34 MX$23.22

49.25%

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

$43.1K €36.8K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

128.77%

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

$39.8K €33.9K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

71.55%

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

$280 €239

$40.30 MX$698

596.00%

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

$23.23 €19.81

$27.15 MX$471

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 €46.32

$29.46 MX$510

84.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 €35.00

$52.7 MX$914

-22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 €12.05

$6.18 MX$107

128.48%

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

$1,075 €917

$441 MX$7,637

143.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,257 €7,044

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-22.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €77.6

$57.2 MX$992

58.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.66 €33.83

$45.04 MX$781

-11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 €85.1

$103 MX$1,793

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.7

$109 MX$1,884

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 €1,252

$1,000 MX$17.3K

46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,070

$632 MX$11.0K

98.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 €2,069

$2,141 MX$37.1K

13.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 €1,688

$1,253 MX$21.7K

58.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,018 €4,281

$3,745 MX$64.9K

33.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,068 €4,323

$2,381 MX$41.3K

112.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.34

-64.37%

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

Last update for Swords: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,467 in Swords and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Swords vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $286 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

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

Swords and Mexico City differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,572 vs $1,466 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,859 in Swords and $2,199 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,467 in Swords versus $1,000 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 433% less than in Swords. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,075 in Swords versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $2,572 in Swords, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Swords. 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, Swords 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 75% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.