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: $2,252 in Arendal versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Arendal versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,548 in Arendal versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Arendal is roughly 56% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 68% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 NOK 173

$12.98 MX$223

40.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 NOK 716

$52.6 MX$903

43.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 147

$9.43 MX$162

63.73%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.49

$3.57 MX$61.3

45.94%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.46

$1.61 MX$27.55

99.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NOK 28.99

$1.15 MX$19.81

165.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$3.15 MX$54.0

248.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 97.1

$4.86 MX$83.4

110.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.94

$1.70 MX$29.17

35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.52

$2.64 MX$45.23

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.13

$1.90 MX$32.67

89.47%

Eggs

$4.36 NOK 41.38

$2.54 MX$43.62

71.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 NOK 123

$10.08 MX$173

28.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 NOK 146

$8.29 MX$142

85.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.96 NOK 265

$11.57 MX$199

141.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.30

$3.03 MX$52.0

12.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.08

$1.71 MX$29.35

48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.41

$2.05 MX$35.16

51.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 43.20

$2.06 MX$35.36

120.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.60

$2.06 MX$35.43

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.27

$2.17 MX$37.25

37.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.75

$1.40 MX$24.08

86.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.65

$1.12 MX$19.26

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 146

$4.29 MX$73.7

259.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 NOK 173

$15.41 MX$265

18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.83

$1.67 MX$28.74

100.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 NOK 38.01

$3.69 MX$63.3

8.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 NOK 36.88

$0.38 MX$6.55

923.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$19.06 MX$327

457.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 NOK 75.3

$1.38 MX$23.70

474.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.74

$0.28 MX$4.74

642.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.96 NOK 294

$5.42 MX$92.9

471.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.71

$1.28 MX$21.98

62.50%

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

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

78.55%

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

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

40.42%

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

$189 NOK 1,793

$41.02 MX$704

360.53%

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

$35.99 NOK 342

$26.92 MX$462

33.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 NOK 703

$29.69 MX$510

149.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 NOK 423

$52.3 MX$898

-14.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.0 NOK 513

$26.23 MX$450

105.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NOK 113

$6.18 MX$106

93.04%

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

$306 NOK 2,903

$427 MX$7,331

-28.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-4.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 919

$56.8 MX$975

70.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 NOK 550

$44.83 MX$769

29.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,003

$105 MX$1,794

1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,512

$106 MX$1,819

50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

$995 MX$17.1K

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 NOK 6,722

$621 MX$10.7K

14.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-37.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-7.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-17.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

0.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

268.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

11.34

-68.25%

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

Last update for Arendal: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Arendal and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 269% 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: $75.0 in Arendal vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 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

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

Arendal and Mexico City differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,252 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arendal pays 269% 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: $1,099 in Arendal versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Arendal versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $2,252 in Arendal, a $2,000 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 56% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.