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: $1,644 in Umea versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,662 in Umea versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,680 in Umea versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Umea costs roughly 1% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 20% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.43 SEK 152

$11.92 MX$206

29.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 SEK 820

$51.6 MX$890

61.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 SEK 120

$11.41 MX$197

7.01%

Cappuccino

$4.05 SEK 39.94

$3.99 MX$68.9

1.50%

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

$3.34 SEK 32.91

$1.66 MX$28.61

101.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 24.85

$1.33 MX$22.87

89.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 85.4

$3.47 MX$59.9

149.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 SEK 72.7

$5.90 MX$102

25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.43

$1.88 MX$32.36

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 SEK 33.49

$3.25 MX$56.1

4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 SEK 39.72

$2.16 MX$37.26

86.57%

Eggs

$3.99 SEK 39.30

$2.90 MX$49.94

37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 113

$12.86 MX$222

-10.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 SEK 107

$10.05 MX$173

7.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 SEK 175

$15.86 MX$273

11.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 SEK 25.04

$3.29 MX$56.8

-22.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 21.95

$2.01 MX$34.60

10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 27.14

$2.20 MX$37.93

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 SEK 41.93

$2.36 MX$40.63

80.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 16.63

$2.05 MX$35.43

-17.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.55

$1.90 MX$32.79

-6.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 SEK 24.10

$1.61 MX$27.68

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SEK 13.42

$1.40 MX$24.09

-2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.27 SEK 71.6

$5.46 MX$94.2

33.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 SEK 103

$17.65 MX$304

-40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.88

$2.06 MX$35.44

12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.77

$4.68 MX$80.8

-48.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 SEK 29.14

$0.34 MX$5.84

770.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 SEK 583

$20.81 MX$359

184.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 SEK 72.1

$2.10 MX$36.15

248.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 SEK 16.73

$0.56 MX$9.64

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 622

$5.81 MX$100

986.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.89

$1.61 MX$27.68

6.21%

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

$34.3K SEK 337.6K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

50.01%

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

$34.4K SEK 339.4K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

28.76%

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

$88.3 SEK 870

$65.2 MX$1,124

35.46%

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

$34.13 SEK 336

$30.09 MX$519

13.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 SEK 268

$37.18 MX$641

-26.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 SEK 500

$59.8 MX$1,030

-15.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 SEK 347

$26.55 MX$458

32.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.76 SEK 165

$7.04 MX$121

138.07%

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

$143 SEK 1,408

$465 MX$8,012

-69.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,993 SEK 49.2K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-62.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,016

$75.9 MX$1,308

35.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.63 SEK 371

$56.0 MX$965

-32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,174

$112 MX$1,929

6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 SEK 1,423

$121 MX$2,078

19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 SEK 7,705

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 SEK 5,210

$721 MX$12.4K

-26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 SEK 11.4K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-54.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 SEK 8,425

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-33.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,710 SEK 46.4K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

18.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,119 SEK 30.7K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

49.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,718 SEK 26.8K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

162.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

11.3

-67.70%

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

Last update for Umea: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Umea and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 162% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Umea vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $345 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,644 vs $1,660 including rent). Umea is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $782 in Umea versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 184% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $143 in Umea versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,644 in Umea versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.