Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,259 in Arnhem versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arnhem versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,523 in Arnhem versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 55% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arnhem 69% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €16.13

$13.07 MX$228

40.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 €62.2

$53.8 MX$936

32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.30 €11.65

$9.68 MX$169

37.40%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.72

$3.74 MX$65.1

13.37%

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

$3.18 €2.78

$1.62 MX$28.13

96.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.19

$1.16 MX$20.23

115.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 €5.59

$3.23 MX$56.2

97.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.58

$4.74 MX$82.5

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.65 MX$28.68

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.75 MX$47.95

-13.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$1.87 MX$32.63

74.33%

Eggs

$4.91 €4.30

$2.50 MX$43.54

96.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €11.99

$10.20 MX$178

34.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$8.25 MX$144

102.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 €14.73

$11.82 MX$206

42.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.01 MX$52.4

-20.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$1.81 MX$31.54

44.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.66

$2.00 MX$34.81

-5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.62

$2.00 MX$34.74

107.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.84

$2.08 MX$36.30

0.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.90

$2.27 MX$39.56

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.46 MX$25.36

-12.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.63

$1.08 MX$18.74

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 €12.51

$4.35 MX$75.7

228.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.95 €6.09

$16.99 MX$296

-59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.73 MX$30.18

-19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.58 MX$62.3

-23.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 €3.77

$0.39 MX$6.74

1005.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €99.5

$18.69 MX$325

508.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.46

$1.33 MX$23.08

196.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.31

$0.28 MX$4.87

842.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 €24.05

$5.25 MX$91.5

423.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.34 MX$23.27

65.67%

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

$37.4K €32.8K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

92.67%

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

$38.7K €33.9K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

62.39%

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

$264 €231

$40.69 MX$709

548.73%

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

$30.28 €26.52

$26.87 MX$468

12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €47.20

$30.51 MX$531

76.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.52 €37.24

$52.8 MX$919

-19.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 €6.69

$26.65 MX$464

-71.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 €13.30

$6.51 MX$113

133.33%

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

$1,842 €1,613

$428 MX$7,454

330.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,253 €5,477

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-40.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €81.6

$57.3 MX$997

62.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.32 €15.17

$45.50 MX$792

-61.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €75.1

$104 MX$1,812

-17.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 €80.2

$108 MX$1,878

-15.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,014

$1,003 MX$17.5K

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 €769

$623 MX$10.8K

40.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 €1,807

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-2.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,432

$1,218 MX$21.2K

34.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,406 €4,735

$3,885 MX$67.6K

39.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,261 €3,732

$2,033 MX$35.4K

109.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,726 €3,263

$1,038 MX$18.1K

259.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

11.34

-71.34%

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

Last update for Arnhem: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,158 in Arnhem and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 259% 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: $71.0 in Arnhem vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $292 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

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

Arnhem and Mexico City differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($2,259 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 259% higher in Arnhem, 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: $1,158 in Arnhem versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Arnhem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $71.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,259 in Arnhem, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. 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, Arnhem 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 55% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.