Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arica and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $110 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Arica
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Arica Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$110

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $110 per month in Arica vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Arica $110
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $177 per month in Arica vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Arica $177
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $245 per month in Arica vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Arica $245
Mexico City $3,323

Arica is about 93% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arica sits 92% below the global median, while Mexico City is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,197

$1.25 MX$23.07

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 CLP 977

$1.70 MX$31.50

-41.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 CLP 739

$0.34 MX$6.30

120.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.50 CLP 39.9K

$67.8 MX$1,253

-40.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.06 CLP 19.7K

$52.0 MX$960

-61.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.7 CLP 51.8K

$106 MX$1,959

-50.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 CLP 90.3K

$113 MX$2,080

-18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 CLP 493.0K

$964 MX$17.8K

-48.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-55.75%

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

Last update for Arica: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Clothing & Footwear

Arica

$92 83.8%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 65% $60

Groceries & Markets

Arica

$9.9 * 9%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 3107% $308

Eating Out

Arica

$4.9 * 4.4%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 4095% $199

Getting Around

Arica

$3 * 2.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 754% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arica

- * 0%

Mexico City

$124 8%

Sport & Entertainment

Arica

- * 0%

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Accommodation & Living

Arica

- * 0%

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 92% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Arica

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

3 h behind Arica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,131

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Arica Mexico City 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Arica
Mexico City

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

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $110 in Arica, $1,548 in Mexico City – roughly 1307% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $165 per month in Arica and $2,322 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $110 in Arica and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 1307%.

Groceries cost about 3107% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $110, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Arica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $110 in Arica to $1,548 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Arica. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.