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: $2,198 in Arendal versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,317 in Arendal versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,436 in Arendal versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Arendal is roughly 48% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 64% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 NOK 169

$12.98 MX$226

39.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NOK 719

$53.1 MX$923

45.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 NOK 142

$9.72 MX$169

56.48%

Cappuccino

$5.13 NOK 47.77

$3.75 MX$65.2

36.80%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$1.57 MX$27.30

104.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NOK 28.12

$1.13 MX$19.64

167.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.12 NOK 104

$3.18 MX$55.3

249.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 92.9

$4.66 MX$81.1

113.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 NOK 22.18

$1.62 MX$28.21

46.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 NOK 28.46

$2.71 MX$47.09

12.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.38

$1.88 MX$32.70

90.43%

Eggs

$4.47 NOK 41.70

$2.51 MX$43.65

78.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 NOK 121

$10.08 MX$175

29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.35 NOK 143

$8.29 MX$144

85.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.55 NOK 257

$11.94 MX$208

130.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.17

$2.86 MX$49.77

24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.62

$1.75 MX$30.45

44.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 27.56

$2.08 MX$36.27

42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 43.05

$1.97 MX$34.27

134.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 19.89

$2.16 MX$37.58

-1.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.45

$2.18 MX$37.94

35.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.31

$1.39 MX$24.20

79.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.10

$1.12 MX$19.57

63.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 NOK 141

$4.20 MX$73.1

260.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.88 NOK 167

$14.25 MX$248

25.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NOK 31.47

$1.76 MX$30.68

92.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 NOK 36.84

$3.68 MX$64.1

7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 NOK 36.17

$0.39 MX$6.71

894.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 958

$18.66 MX$325

450.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 NOK 74.1

$1.39 MX$24.12

471.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.36

$0.30 MX$5.29

593.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.62 NOK 285

$5.42 MX$94.3

464.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.12

$1.35 MX$23.50

51.85%

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

$34.0K NOK 316.9K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

80.08%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.5K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

40.65%

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

$190 NOK 1,770

$40.82 MX$710

365.38%

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

$35.04 NOK 327

$27.50 MX$479

27.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 NOK 674

$30.38 MX$529

138.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 NOK 402

$53.4 MX$930

-19.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.4 NOK 488

$26.30 MX$458

99.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 NOK 111

$6.27 MX$109

90.43%

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

$302 NOK 2,813

$436 MX$7,588

-30.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-1.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.5 NOK 909

$56.8 MX$988

71.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 NOK 545

$44.79 MX$779

30.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 971

$103 MX$1,789

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,462

$108 MX$1,878

45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 NOK 10.1K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

8.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 NOK 6,615

$620 MX$10.8K

14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 NOK 12.4K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 NOK 10.5K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-8.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,225 NOK 30.1K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-16.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,152 NOK 20.1K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-7.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,277 NOK 39.9K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

300.74%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,080 in Arendal and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 301% 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: $77.0 in Arendal vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 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

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

Arendal and Mexico City differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($2,198 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arendal pays 301% 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: $1,080 in Arendal versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Arendal versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,198 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 48% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.