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: $2,528 in Swords versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Swords versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,869 in Swords versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Swords is roughly 72% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swords 90% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 €16.09

$13.14 MX$229

39.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €82.3

$53.5 MX$933

74.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 €9.20

$9.33 MX$163

12.22%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.84

$3.70 MX$64.5

18.11%

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

$2.40 €2.10

$1.60 MX$27.97

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.12 MX$19.49

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 €6.21

$3.14 MX$54.7

125.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.73

$4.85 MX$84.5

34.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.65 MX$28.83

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.95

$2.71 MX$47.32

-18.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.91 MX$33.28

9.95%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.60

$2.59 MX$45.16

58.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 €10.01

$9.81 MX$171

16.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 €9.29

$8.43 MX$147

25.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 €10.25

$11.93 MX$208

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.56

$2.95 MX$51.5

-1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.74 MX$30.34

18.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.42

$2.04 MX$35.65

34.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.06

$2.06 MX$35.92

69.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.15 MX$37.49

-32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.26 MX$39.33

-34.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.19

$1.39 MX$24.16

-2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.42

$1.12 MX$19.47

43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 €17.20

$4.22 MX$73.6

364.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 €12.06

$17.51 MX$305

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.23

$1.71 MX$29.81

114.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.47

$3.63 MX$63.3

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 €2.12

$0.35 MX$6.15

588.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 €85.7

$19.32 MX$337

405.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.83 €4.24

$1.38 MX$23.99

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.28 MX$4.81

632.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.87 €34.12

$5.28 MX$92.0

636.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.36 MX$23.68

51.47%

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

$42.4K €37.2K

$19.1K MX$333.1K

121.88%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$23.6K MX$411.6K

65.59%

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

$282 €248

$40.53 MX$707

596.32%

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

$23.10 €20.28

$27.38 MX$477

-15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 €47.79

$30.38 MX$530

79.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 €35.84

$52.2 MX$911

-21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 €12.04

$6.19 MX$108

121.49%

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

$1,041 €914

$425 MX$7,412

144.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,058 €7,075

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €78.1

$58.3 MX$1,017

52.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 €34.85

$44.57 MX$777

-10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 €87.2

$103 MX$1,805

-4.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €95.1

$109 MX$1,896

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 €1,312

$1,014 MX$17.7K

47.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,081

$623 MX$10.9K

97.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 €2,127

$2,119 MX$37.0K

14.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,693

$1,223 MX$21.3K

57.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,920 €3,441

$3,792 MX$66.1K

3.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,852 €4,260

$2,110 MX$36.8K

129.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.3K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,494 in Swords and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Swords vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $293 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 72% in total monthly costs ($2,528 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,792 in Swords and $2,208 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: $1,494 in Swords versus $1,014 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 405% less than in Swords. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,041 in Swords versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,528 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 72% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.