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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,694 in Umea versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Umea versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,638 in Umea versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Umea is roughly 15% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 26% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 150

$13.18 MX$228

21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 796

$53.9 MX$932

58.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 SEK 106

$9.42 MX$163

21.13%

Cappuccino

$4.29 SEK 40.00

$3.55 MX$61.4

20.85%

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

$3.39 SEK 31.65

$1.62 MX$27.98

109.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 23.45

$1.11 MX$19.27

126.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 85.0

$3.12 MX$54.0

191.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 70.4

$4.63 MX$80.1

63.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 15.80

$1.70 MX$29.43

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 SEK 33.37

$2.72 MX$47.02

31.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 SEK 40.31

$1.91 MX$33.07

126.18%

Eggs

$4.29 SEK 40.00

$2.54 MX$43.86

68.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 SEK 111

$10.03 MX$174

18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 SEK 103

$8.09 MX$140

36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 SEK 171

$11.62 MX$201

57.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.48

$2.97 MX$51.3

-4.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 SEK 22.30

$1.81 MX$31.24

32.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.47

$2.01 MX$34.82

41.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 41.41

$2.03 MX$35.20

118.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.65

$2.12 MX$36.75

-20.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 16.96

$2.27 MX$39.25

-19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.40

$1.40 MX$24.22

87.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SEK 13.78

$1.13 MX$19.55

30.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 SEK 62.5

$4.27 MX$73.9

56.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 SEK 106

$15.56 MX$269

-27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.46

$1.76 MX$30.39

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.76

$3.60 MX$62.2

-38.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 SEK 29.31

$0.38 MX$6.62

726.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 SEK 552

$19.18 MX$332

208.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 SEK 48.74

$1.38 MX$23.79

278.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 14.97

$0.28 MX$4.78

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.06 SEK 439

$5.45 MX$94.2

763.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.18

$1.30 MX$22.55

50.00%

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

$32.7K SEK 305.4K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

75.14%

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

$35.2K SEK 328.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

52.30%

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

$67.8 SEK 632

$40.86 MX$707

65.88%

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

$34.49 SEK 322

$26.81 MX$464

28.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.30 SEK 255

$29.96 MX$518

-8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 SEK 483

$52.0 MX$900

-0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SEK 360

$26.84 MX$464

43.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 SEK 149

$6.30 MX$109

152.70%

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

$149 SEK 1,388

$436 MX$7,544

-65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.2K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-60.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 925

$56.7 MX$980

74.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 SEK 357

$44.38 MX$768

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,171

$103 MX$1,780

21.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 SEK 1,267

$106 MX$1,825

28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 SEK 7,395

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 SEK 4,942

$631 MX$10.9K

-16.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 SEK 11.1K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-44.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 SEK 8,347

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-28.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,972 SEK 46.4K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

27.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 SEK 30.9K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

60.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,875 SEK 26.8K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

157.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.34

-60.05%

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

Last update for Umea: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $793 in Umea and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 158% 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: $85.0 in Umea vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 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

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

Umea and Mexico City differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,694 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Umea pays 158% 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: $793 in Umea 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 208% less than in Umea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $149 in Umea 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 $1,694 in Umea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Umea. 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, Umea 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 15% less than in Umea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.