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: $1,695 in Umea versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,667 in Umea versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Umea versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Umea is roughly 16% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 27% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 155

$13.07 MX$229

22.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 SEK 803

$53.8 MX$940

54.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 SEK 113

$9.68 MX$169

21.38%

Cappuccino

$4.12 SEK 39.68

$3.74 MX$65.4

10.16%

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

$3.39 SEK 32.70

$1.62 MX$28.25

109.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SEK 24.97

$1.16 MX$20.31

123.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 87.8

$3.23 MX$56.4

182.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 71.6

$4.74 MX$82.9

56.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.66

$1.65 MX$28.80

4.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 SEK 33.61

$2.75 MX$48.15

26.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 40.86

$1.87 MX$32.77

126.74%

Eggs

$4.32 SEK 41.61

$2.50 MX$43.72

72.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 111

$10.20 MX$178

12.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 SEK 106

$8.25 MX$144

33.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 SEK 178

$11.82 MX$207

56.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.18

$3.01 MX$52.6

-6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 SEK 22.35

$1.81 MX$31.67

28.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.77

$2.00 MX$34.96

49.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 43.21

$2.00 MX$34.89

124.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.55

$2.08 MX$36.45

-17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.74

$2.27 MX$39.72

-18.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 25.21

$1.46 MX$25.47

79.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.43

$1.08 MX$18.82

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SEK 65.8

$4.35 MX$76.0

57.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 SEK 105

$16.99 MX$297

-35.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.99

$1.73 MX$30.31

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.28

$3.58 MX$62.5

-41.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 SEK 29.11

$0.39 MX$6.77

674.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 579

$18.69 MX$327

221.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 SEK 50.5

$1.33 MX$23.18

293.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.00

$0.28 MX$4.89

492.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.83 SEK 451

$5.25 MX$91.8

792.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.39

$1.34 MX$23.37

42.54%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

66.10%

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

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

46.49%

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

$69.4 SEK 668

$40.69 MX$712

70.43%

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

$34.68 SEK 334

$26.87 MX$470

29.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.86 SEK 259

$30.51 MX$534

-11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 SEK 490

$52.8 MX$923

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 SEK 378

$26.65 MX$466

47.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 SEK 154

$6.51 MX$114

145.78%

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

$147 SEK 1,417

$428 MX$7,485

-65.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-60.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 978

$57.3 MX$1,001

77.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 SEK 371

$45.50 MX$796

-15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,213

$104 MX$1,819

21.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 SEK 1,318

$108 MX$1,885

26.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SEK 7,733

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-20.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 SEK 5,233

$623 MX$10.9K

-12.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-43.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 SEK 8,660

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-26.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

22.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

54.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

160.50%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Umea and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 161% 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: $83.0 in Umea vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $292 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 16% in total monthly costs ($1,695 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 161% higher in Umea, 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: $803 in Umea versus $1,003 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 221% less than in Umea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $147 in Umea versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,695 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 16% less than in Umea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.