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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,841 in Varnamo versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,819 in Varnamo versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,796 in Varnamo versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Varnamo is roughly 27% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varnamo 37% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 SEK 119

$12.98 MX$223

-2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 SEK 831

$52.6 MX$903

68.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 SEK 111

$9.43 MX$162

25.34%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 45.83

$3.57 MX$61.3

36.97%

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

$2.90 SEK 27.24

$1.61 MX$27.55

80.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.08

$1.15 MX$19.81

86.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 SEK 76.1

$3.15 MX$54.0

157.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 SEK 67.6

$4.86 MX$83.4

48.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SEK 15.06

$1.70 MX$29.17

-5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 SEK 20.77

$2.64 MX$45.23

-16.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 SEK 27.79

$1.90 MX$32.67

55.79%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.61

$2.54 MX$43.62

74.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 SEK 123

$10.08 MX$173

29.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 SEK 108

$8.29 MX$142

39.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.41 SEK 163

$11.57 MX$199

50.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.70

$3.03 MX$52.0

4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.10

$1.71 MX$29.35

69.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.47

$2.05 MX$35.16

37.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 40.44

$2.06 MX$35.36

109.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.71

$2.06 MX$35.43

-18.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.86

$2.17 MX$37.25

-27.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 24.78

$1.40 MX$24.08

88.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.02

$1.12 MX$19.26

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 SEK 73.7

$4.29 MX$73.7

83.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 SEK 112

$15.41 MX$265

-22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 SEK 18.22

$1.67 MX$28.74

16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.81

$3.69 MX$63.3

-39.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 SEK 30.82

$0.38 MX$6.55

765.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 SEK 687

$19.06 MX$327

284.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 SEK 53.1

$1.38 MX$23.70

310.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 SEK 24.09

$0.28 MX$4.74

817.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 590

$5.42 MX$92.9

1060.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.25

$1.28 MX$21.98

52.34%

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

$33.2K SEK 311.5K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

74.98%

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

$34.1K SEK 319.6K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

45.22%

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

$122 SEK 1,143

$41.02 MX$704

196.93%

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

$28.28 SEK 265

$26.92 MX$462

5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.20 SEK 387

$29.69 MX$510

38.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 SEK 381

$52.3 MX$898

-22.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 SEK 236

$26.23 MX$450

-4.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 SEK 166

$6.18 MX$106

187.06%

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

$174 SEK 1,635

$427 MX$7,331

-59.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,125 SEK 38.7K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-61.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 SEK 737

$56.8 MX$975

38.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SEK 569

$44.83 MX$769

35.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 977

$105 MX$1,794

-0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,225

$106 MX$1,819

23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$995 MX$17.1K

-14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 6,047

$621 MX$10.7K

3.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 SEK 12.9K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-35.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 SEK 10.0K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-14.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,312 SEK 40.4K

$3,903 MX$67.0K

10.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,016 SEK 28.3K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

43.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,115 SEK 19.8K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

91.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.34

-57.67%

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

Last update for Varnamo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Varnamo and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 91% 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: $89.0 in Varnamo vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 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

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

Varnamo and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,841 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Varnamo pays 91% 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: $852 in Varnamo 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 284% less than in Varnamo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $174 in Varnamo 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 $1,841 in Varnamo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Varnamo. 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, Varnamo 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 27% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.