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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,800 in Arendal versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,949 in Arendal versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Arendal versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Arendal is roughly 67% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 103% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 NOK 191

$12.14 MX$206

69.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 NOK 627

$53.9 MX$914

25.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.19 NOK 150

$11.09 MX$188

45.99%

Cappuccino

$5.73 NOK 53.2

$4.10 MX$69.5

39.76%

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

$3.67 NOK 34.05

$1.68 MX$28.53

118.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 30.57

$1.39 MX$23.55

137.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.09 NOK 112

$3.33 MX$56.5

263.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.42 NOK 115

$5.88 MX$99.7

111.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 NOK 22.95

$1.85 MX$31.41

33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 NOK 34.86

$3.17 MX$53.8

18.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.71

$2.07 MX$35.13

91.30%

Eggs

$5.01 NOK 46.51

$2.93 MX$49.67

70.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.04 NOK 140

$12.59 MX$214

19.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.99 NOK 139

$10.11 MX$172

48.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.11 NOK 326

$16.09 MX$273

118.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 33.93

$3.39 MX$57.5

7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.24

$2.08 MX$35.26

36.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.82

$2.12 MX$35.97

66.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.46

$2.41 MX$40.95

103.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 23.91

$2.13 MX$36.11

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 29.84

$2.01 MX$34.02

60.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.21

$1.55 MX$26.21

82.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.45

$1.36 MX$23.15

77.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 167

$5.77 MX$97.8

212.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 NOK 139

$17.74 MX$301

-15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 NOK 34.42

$2.07 MX$35.11

79.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 41.84

$4.61 MX$78.3

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 NOK 35.59

$0.37 MX$6.21

937.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 NOK 848

$21.18 MX$359

331.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NOK 59.3

$2.05 MX$34.84

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 NOK 16.09

$0.58 MX$9.79

198.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 978

$6.07 MX$103

1637.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.97

$1.55 MX$26.34

52.90%

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

$50.5K NOK 468.6K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

120.82%

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

$42.0K NOK 389.5K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

54.16%

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

$257 NOK 2,389

$67.4 MX$1,144

281.96%

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

$36.25 NOK 336

$30.62 MX$520

18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.7 NOK 758

$37.24 MX$632

119.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.34 NOK 356

$61.5 MX$1,043

-37.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 NOK 149

$7.11 MX$121

125.18%

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

$324 NOK 3,003

$456 MX$7,739

-29.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 135.4K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

6.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 NOK 1,195

$74.2 MX$1,259

73.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 NOK 419

$57.0 MX$967

-20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,184

$115 MX$1,958

10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 NOK 1,904

$122 MX$2,061

68.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 10.9K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 NOK 10.1K

$709 MX$12.0K

53.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 NOK 15.2K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-36.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 13.9K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

15.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 NOK 39.0K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

288.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.3

-58.58%

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

Last update for Arendal: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Arendal and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 289% 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: $68.0 in Arendal vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $345 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

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

Arendal and Mexico City differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,800 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 289% higher in Arendal, 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: $1,171 in Arendal versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Arendal versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,800 in Arendal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arendal. 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, Arendal 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 67% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.