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: $1,814 in Varnamo versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Varnamo versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,842 in Varnamo versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Varnamo is roughly 22% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varnamo 35% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 SEK 117

$12.98 MX$226

-3.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 SEK 809

$53.1 MX$923

64.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 SEK 113

$9.72 MX$169

25.41%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 46.78

$3.75 MX$65.2

34.67%

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

$2.84 SEK 26.29

$1.57 MX$27.30

80.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.21

$1.13 MX$19.64

83.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.2

$3.18 MX$55.3

151.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 69.6

$4.66 MX$81.1

61.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 14.85

$1.62 MX$28.21

-1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 SEK 19.76

$2.71 MX$47.09

-21.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.25

$1.88 MX$32.70

56.38%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.16

$2.51 MX$43.65

76.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 122

$10.08 MX$175

30.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 109

$8.29 MX$144

41.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 156

$11.94 MX$208

40.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.41

$2.86 MX$49.77

10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.15

$1.75 MX$30.45

61.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.67

$2.08 MX$36.27

33.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 41.94

$1.97 MX$34.27

129.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 15.64

$2.16 MX$37.58

-21.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 14.78

$2.18 MX$37.94

-27.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 24.70

$1.39 MX$24.20

91.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 11.85

$1.12 MX$19.57

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 SEK 76.0

$4.20 MX$73.1

95.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 SEK 113

$14.25 MX$248

-14.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 18.73

$1.76 MX$30.68

14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.84

$3.68 MX$64.1

-38.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 SEK 32.26

$0.39 MX$6.71

792.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 SEK 683

$18.66 MX$325

295.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 SEK 52.0

$1.39 MX$24.12

303.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 SEK 23.70

$0.30 MX$5.29

753.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 SEK 591

$5.42 MX$94.3

1077.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.55

$1.35 MX$23.50

40.00%

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

$32.7K SEK 302.8K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

72.98%

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

$34.1K SEK 315.8K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

47.13%

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

$123 SEK 1,138

$40.82 MX$710

200.66%

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

$29.26 SEK 271

$27.50 MX$479

6.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.11 SEK 372

$30.38 MX$529

32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 SEK 383

$53.4 MX$930

-22.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 SEK 231

$26.30 MX$458

-5.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 SEK 164

$6.27 MX$109

182.30%

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

$179 SEK 1,659

$436 MX$7,588

-58.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,165 SEK 38.6K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-60.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 SEK 743

$56.8 MX$988

41.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SEK 566

$44.79 MX$779

36.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SEK 983

$103 MX$1,789

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,177

$108 MX$1,878

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SEK 7,718

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,149

$620 MX$10.8K

6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 SEK 9,870

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-13.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,394 SEK 40.7K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

13.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 SEK 27.9K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

29.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 SEK 20.1K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

103.27%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $833 in Varnamo and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 103% 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: $87.0 in Varnamo vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $286 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,814 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Varnamo pays 103% 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: $833 in Varnamo versus $1,000 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 295% less than in Varnamo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $179 in Varnamo versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,814 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 22% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.