Mexico City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Mexico City, one of Latin America’s business and cultural hubs, is a city full of contradictions, judging by international rankings and research. The high levels of inequality and corruption, as well as enduring and harmful stereotypes, especially during the Trump era, also permeate the city’s image abroad. So how is Mexico City performing in terms of reputation and influence, business attractiveness and sustainability?

Let’s explore deeper how the capital positions itself on the world stage, drawing insights from data provided by TPBO partners and other reputable institutions.

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Mexico City’s competitiveness and financial performance
• Mexico City’s brand strength and global attractiveness
• Liveability: Mexico City’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Mexico City’s competitiveness and financial performance

How attractive is Mexico City as a place to work and do business? 

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Mexico City 113^th, dropping 16 positions from the previous ranking. It sits in between Bratislava (112^th) and Moscow (114^th).

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Mexico City ranks 61^st, an impressive jump of 100 positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits in between Lisbon (60^th) and Buenos Aires (62^nd).

Mexico City’s brand strength and global attractiveness

Which subfactors hurt and help the brand of Mexico City?

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Mexico City 76^th, scoring the following in the Place Power Highlights subfactors: 13^th in Museums and 19^th in Facebook Check-ins. It currently sits between Minneapolis (75^th) and Minsk (77^th).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Mexico City 28^th, a jump of three positions from the previous ranking. It currently sits in between Frankfurt (27^th) and Vienna (29^th). Moreover, the city ranks 113^th in the Global Cities Outlook, a drop of two positions since the previous ranking.

The comprehensive ranking of the Global Power City Index ranks Mexico City 43^rd. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city ranks 44^th in terms of Economy, 44^th in R&D, 16^th in Cultural Interaction, 41^st in Liveability, 38^th in Environment, and 41^st in Accessibility. Lastly, Mexico City positioned 46^th in the Highly-skilled Workers, 45^th in the Corporate Executive, 43^rd in the Resident, and 22^nd in the Tourism categories.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Mexico City ranks 59^th in the global ranking with a score of 62.9/100. It sits in between Beijing (58^th) and Cape Town (60^th).

Liveability: Mexico City’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Which aspects of Mexico City’s urban living make it an attractive place to live, work and study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Mexico City 130^th, sitting in between Bogota (129^th) and Tunis (131^st). The Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks Mexico City 79^th, it sits behind St Louis (78^th), and above Detroit (80^th). The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Mexico City 79th overall, sitting in between Bogota (78^th) and Santiago (80^th). Mexico City’s pillar rankings are the following: Planet 53^rd, People 83^rd, Profit 77^th.

Lastly, Mexico City is home to one of the best universities in the world according to the QS World University ranking, where it positioned the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 93^rd.

Last updated in January 2024. More city benchmarking insights, profiles and reports in our City Observatory.

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