Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,383 in Arlington, TX versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,566 in Arlington, TX versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,748 in Arlington, TX versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 45% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, TX 73% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 $20.13

$12.11 MX$205

66.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$52.2 MX$883

3.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 $9.98

$10.90 MX$184

-8.44%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.05 MX$68.5

35.06%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.72 MX$29.00

51.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.38 MX$23.29

44.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.47 MX$58.6

46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 $6.58

$5.81 MX$98.2

13.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.85 MX$31.33

-56.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.22 MX$54.5

18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.09 MX$35.25

143.54%

Eggs

$2.59 $2.59

$2.91 MX$49.18

-11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 $10.79

$12.49 MX$211

-13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$10.11 MX$171

25.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.89 MX$269

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.31 MX$56.0

34.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.13 MX$35.95

25.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.19 MX$37.03

138.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.45 MX$41.37

62.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.19 MX$37.00

18.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.90 MX$32.20

64.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.62 MX$27.31

17.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.35 MX$22.82

45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.43 $9.43

$5.43 MX$91.7

73.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$17.59 MX$297

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.07 MX$34.96

1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$4.75 MX$80.2

-29.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.94 $5.94

$0.34 MX$5.75

1647.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 $39.26

$21.58 MX$365

81.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.04 MX$34.49

43.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.58 MX$9.77

205.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 $14.91

$5.97 MX$101

149.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.62 MX$27.31

-43.21%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

56.13%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-4.75%

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

$222 $222

$65.2 MX$1,103

239.87%

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

$65.9 $65.9

$29.87 MX$505

120.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$36.55 MX$618

77.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 $41.23

$61.0 MX$1,031

-32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 $10.18

$6.85 MX$116

48.61%

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

$1,922 $1,922

$453 MX$7,664

323.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

106.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$75.0 MX$1,267

-20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 $50.3

$55.3 MX$935

-8.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$114 MX$1,920

-28.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 $99.0

$123 MX$2,073

-19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 $1,534

$1,134 MX$19.2K

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 $1,082

$712 MX$12.0K

51.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 $2,440

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 $2,055

$1,311 MX$22.2K

56.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,224 $2,224

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-44.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,181 $2,181

$2,095 MX$35.4K

4.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,708 $3,708

$1,047 MX$17.7K

254.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

11.3

-46.19%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Arlington, TX and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 254% 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: $54.0 in Arlington, TX vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 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

Arlington, TX vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Arlington, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 254% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,534 in Arlington, TX versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,383 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 82% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,383 in Arlington, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,646 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.