Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,987 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,987

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Utrecht and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,987 in Utrecht versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Utrecht $2,987
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,205 in Utrecht versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Utrecht $4,205
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,423 in Utrecht versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Utrecht $5,423
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Utrecht is roughly 86% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Utrecht 120% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.74 €20.37

$10.62 MX$200

114.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 €75.3

$48.35 MX$909

73.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €12.14

$10.35 MX$194

30.92%

Cappuccino

$4.78 €4.29

$3.69 MX$69.4

29.54%

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

$3.84 €3.44

$1.67 MX$31.32

129.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.04

$1.27 MX$23.78

166.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 €5.91

$3.19 MX$60.0

106.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.41

$5.31 MX$99.7

34.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.72 MX$32.41

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 €2.67

$3.04 MX$57.1

-1.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$1.94 MX$36.48

30.93%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.19

$2.89 MX$54.3

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 €11.97

$10.97 MX$206

21.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 €12.47

$9.25 MX$174

50.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 €16.74

$15.13 MX$284

23.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$3.05 MX$57.3

-10.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$1.94 MX$36.48

23.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.03 MX$38.06

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.39

$2.31 MX$43.50

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.04 MX$38.25

-15.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$1.80 MX$33.83

4.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.48 MX$27.80

7.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.27 MX$23.82

8.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.42 €12.92

$5.30 MX$99.7

172.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$16.10 MX$303

-57.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.98 MX$37.27

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.40

$4.25 MX$79.9

-36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 €3.18

$0.31 MX$5.73

1045.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 €118

$19.73 MX$371

570.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.34

$1.84 MX$34.53

102.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.44

$0.53 MX$10.03

415.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.56 €40.82

$5.30 MX$99.5

759.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.51 MX$28.39

71.52%

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

$41.0K €36.8K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

88.60%

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

$40.1K €35.9K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

67.16%

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

$245 €220

$63.0 MX$1,184

289.06%

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

$21.75 €19.49

$27.39 MX$515

-20.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.16 €43.16

$35.67 MX$670

35.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.24 €39.64

$58.9 MX$1,108

-24.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.25 €28.00

$23.64 MX$444

32.19%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 €13.49

$6.40 MX$120

135.31%

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

$3,274 €2,934

$432 MX$8,111

658.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,994 €7,164

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-30.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €83.5

$68.2 MX$1,282

36.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 €46.14

$53.1 MX$999

-3.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.9

$108 MX$2,026

-4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €113

$117 MX$2,204

7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 €1,743

$1,113 MX$20.9K

74.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 €1,396

$710 MX$13.4K

119.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,128 €2,803

$2,588 MX$48.6K

20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 €1,998

$1,406 MX$26.4K

58.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,109 €6,371

$3,631 MX$68.2K

95.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,371

$2,135 MX$40.1K

128.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 €3,803

$946 MX$17.8K

348.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

11.35

-71.54%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Utrecht

$1.6K 52.2%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 54.4% $848

Eating Out

Utrecht

$356 11.9%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 44.2% $158

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$352 11.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 9.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$315 10.5%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 60% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$168 5.6%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 7.1% $12

Getting Around

Utrecht

$164 5.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 84.5% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$74 2.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 3.5% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,945 in Utrecht and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utrecht pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Utrecht vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

7 h behind Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Utrecht Mexico City 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Utrecht
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,987 in Utrecht and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Utrecht is about 4.5 times higher, 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: $1,945 in Utrecht versus $1,113 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 85% less than in Utrecht. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $3,274 in Utrecht versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Utrecht, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Utrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.