Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arak and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $480 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
Learn more

Arak Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arak 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 Arak and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $480 in Arak versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Arak $480
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Arak versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Arak $755
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,030 in Arak versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Arak $1,030
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Arak costs roughly 70% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arak is 65% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 $3.55

$10.62 MX$198

-66.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.88 $12.88

$48.35 MX$901

-73.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 $4.09

$10.35 MX$193

-60.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

Cappuccino

$1.33 $1.33

$3.69 MX$68.8

-63.96%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$1.67 MX$31.07

-69.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.27 MX$23.59

30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.72 MX$32.15

-68.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$3.04 MX$56.7

-80.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.94 MX$36.19

1.03%

Eggs

$1.28 $1.28

$2.89 MX$53.8

-55.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$10.97 MX$205

-80.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$9.25 MX$172

-72.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 $10.31

$15.13 MX$282

-31.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$3.05 MX$56.8

-74.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.94 MX$36.19

-51.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$2.03 MX$37.75

-68.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$2.31 MX$43.15

-79.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 $0.42

$2.04 MX$37.94

-79.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.80 MX$33.55

-75.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.48 MX$27.58

-67.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$1.27 MX$23.63

-77.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 $2.52

$5.30 MX$98.9

-52.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 $0.10

$0.31 MX$5.69

-67.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.70 $9.70

$19.73 MX$368

-50.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.25 $0.25

$1.84 MX$34.25

-86.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.12 $0.12

$0.53 MX$9.94

-77.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 $1.02

$5.30 MX$98.7

-80.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$1.51 MX$28.16

-93.38%

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

$50.3K $50.3K

$21.8K MX$405.5K

131.44%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.0K MX$447.1K

45.71%

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

$10.03 $10.03

$63.0 MX$1,174

-84.07%

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

$1.43 $1.43

$27.39 MX$511

-94.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.01 $4.01

$35.67 MX$665

-88.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.93 $9.93

$58.9 MX$1,099

-83.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.64 $24.64

$23.64 MX$441

4.23%

Cinema Ticket

$1.11 $1.11

$6.40 MX$119

-82.66%

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

$83.3 $83.3

$432 MX$8,045

-80.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,372 $2,372

$11.4K MX$212.9K

-79.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.59 $13.59

$68.2 MX$1,272

-80.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.51 $8.51

$53.1 MX$990

-83.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 $81.9

$108 MX$2,009

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.1 $52.1

$117 MX$2,186

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 $294

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 $210

$710 MX$13.2K

-70.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 $781

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-69.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 $357

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-74.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,369 $1,369

$3,631 MX$67.7K

-62.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$647 $647

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-69.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 $375

$946 MX$17.6K

-60.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

11.35

63.00%

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

Last update for Arak: 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

Arak

$210 43.7%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 239% $501

Groceries & Markets

Arak

$96 20%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 233% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Arak

$70 14.6%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 122% $86

Eating Out

Arak

$65 13.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 204% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arak

$15 3.2%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 714% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Arak

$12 2.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 491% $60

Getting Around

Arak

$11 2.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 132% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Arak and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.5 times 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: $13 in Arak vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $96 vs $320 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Arak

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

16:26 4:26 PM

9 h 30 min behind Arak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

526,200

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arak Mexico City 13,210 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Arak
Mexico City

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Arak is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Arak. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $294 in Arak versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $480 per month in Arak versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Arak is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 51% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $480 in Arak versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Arak 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.

Expats usually find Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.