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: $2,605 in Swords versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Swords versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,850 in Swords versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Swords is roughly 80% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Swords 94% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.54 €16.07

$12.98 MX$227

42.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 €84.2

$52.6 MX$918

84.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 €9.02

$9.43 MX$165

10.39%

Cappuccino

$4.41 €3.83

$3.57 MX$62.3

23.53%

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

$2.33 €2.02

$1.61 MX$28.02

44.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.15 MX$20.14

35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 €6.03

$3.15 MX$55.0

120.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 €5.54

$4.86 MX$84.8

31.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.70 MX$29.66

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.64 MX$45.99

-15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.90 MX$33.22

9.47%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.44

$2.54 MX$44.35

56.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 €9.56

$10.08 MX$176

9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 €9.06

$8.29 MX$145

26.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 €10.53

$11.57 MX$202

5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.49

$3.03 MX$52.8

-5.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.71 MX$29.85

16.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$2.05 MX$35.76

39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 €3.02

$2.06 MX$35.95

68.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.06 MX$36.03

-33.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$2.17 MX$37.87

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.40 MX$24.49

-6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.12 MX$19.58

47.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.34 €16.76

$4.29 MX$74.9

350.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 €11.96

$15.41 MX$269

-10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.12

$1.67 MX$29.23

115.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.49

$3.69 MX$64.3

9.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.16

$0.38 MX$6.66

555.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €86.8

$19.06 MX$333

425.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 €4.31

$1.38 MX$24.10

260.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.28 MX$4.82

657.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.00 €33.80

$5.42 MX$94.5

619.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.28 MX$22.35

60.94%

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

$43.3K €37.5K

$19.0K MX$331.3K

127.87%

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

$39.7K €34.4K

$23.5K MX$409.5K

69.07%

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

$279 €242

$41.02 MX$716

580.50%

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

$23.18 €20.09

$26.92 MX$470

-13.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 €47.17

$29.69 MX$518

83.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 €34.80

$52.3 MX$913

-23.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 €11.84

$6.18 MX$108

121.20%

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

$1,063 €921

$427 MX$7,454

148.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,152 €7,065

$10.7K MX$186.7K

-23.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €77.8

$56.8 MX$992

57.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.68 €34.39

$44.83 MX$782

-11.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$105 MX$1,824

-1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.3

$106 MX$1,849

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 €1,263

$995 MX$17.4K

46.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,069

$621 MX$10.8K

98.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 €2,104

$2,126 MX$37.1K

14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,733

$1,254 MX$21.9K

59.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 €3,522

$3,903 MX$68.1K

4.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,178 €2,755

$2,096 MX$36.6K

51.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,457 in Swords and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $97.0 in Swords vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 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

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

Swords and Mexico City differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,605 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,907 in Swords and $2,171 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: $1,457 in Swords 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 426% less than in Swords. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,063 in Swords 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 $2,605 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 80% less than in Swords. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.