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: $2,203 in Arendal versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Arendal versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in Arendal versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Arendal is roughly 50% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 65% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 NOK 172

$13.14 MX$229

36.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 NOK 717

$53.5 MX$934

39.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.38 NOK 148

$9.33 MX$163

64.84%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 49.49

$3.70 MX$64.5

39.46%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.56

$1.60 MX$27.98

105.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NOK 29.52

$1.12 MX$19.49

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 NOK 106

$3.14 MX$54.7

250.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 NOK 95.5

$4.85 MX$84.5

105.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 23.09

$1.65 MX$28.84

46.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NOK 30.41

$2.71 MX$47.34

16.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 NOK 35.30

$1.91 MX$33.29

92.67%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 41.56

$2.59 MX$45.17

67.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 NOK 128

$9.81 MX$171

35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$8.43 MX$147

82.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 268

$11.93 MX$208

133.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.26

$2.95 MX$51.5

17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.37

$1.74 MX$30.35

45.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.90

$2.04 MX$35.66

52.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 NOK 46.31

$2.06 MX$35.93

134.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.91

$2.15 MX$37.49

-3.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 28.33

$2.26 MX$39.33

30.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.02

$1.39 MX$24.17

87.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NOK 17.28

$1.12 MX$19.47

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.08 NOK 145

$4.22 MX$73.6

257.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 NOK 171

$17.51 MX$305

1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 NOK 32.24

$1.71 MX$29.82

96.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 38.52

$3.63 MX$63.4

10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 36.51

$0.35 MX$6.15

988.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,021

$19.32 MX$337

450.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 NOK 79.5

$1.38 MX$24.00

500.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.71

$0.28 MX$4.81

632.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.83 NOK 296

$5.28 MX$92.0

483.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.80

$1.36 MX$23.69

51.47%

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

$34.7K NOK 332.7K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

81.57%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.9K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

41.26%

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

$191 NOK 1,835

$40.53 MX$707

371.92%

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

$35.33 NOK 339

$27.38 MX$478

29.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 NOK 713

$30.38 MX$530

144.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.23 NOK 424

$52.2 MX$911

-15.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 504

$26.48 MX$462

98.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 NOK 115

$6.19 MX$108

93.21%

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

$308 NOK 2,952

$425 MX$7,414

-27.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-5.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 937

$58.3 MX$1,017

67.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 NOK 572

$44.57 MX$777

33.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 994

$103 MX$1,805

0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,542

$109 MX$1,897

47.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 NOK 10.3K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

5.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NOK 6,753

$623 MX$10.9K

13.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 NOK 12.6K

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NOK 10.9K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-6.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,161 NOK 30.3K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-16.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 NOK 20.0K

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-0.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 NOK 38.5K

$1,052 MX$18.4K

281.74%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Arendal and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 282% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $293 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 50% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 282% 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: $1,071 in Arendal versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,203 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 50% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.