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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,737 in Arona versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in Arona versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Arona versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Arona is roughly 18% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arona 30% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 €16.29

$13.18 MX$228

43.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.4

$53.9 MX$931

73.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €7.92

$9.42 MX$163

-2.34%

Cappuccino

$1.91 €1.65

$3.55 MX$61.3

-46.20%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$1.62 MX$27.95

91.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.11 MX$19.25

1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 €3.67

$3.12 MX$53.9

36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.75

$4.63 MX$80.0

19.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.70 MX$29.40

15.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.72 MX$46.97

-8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$1.91 MX$33.04

79.06%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.54 MX$43.82

24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.72 €13.53

$10.03 MX$173

56.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 €11.44

$8.09 MX$140

64.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 €11.88

$11.62 MX$201

18.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.97 MX$51.3

-7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.81 MX$31.21

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.66

$2.01 MX$34.79

53.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.03 MX$35.16

40.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.12 MX$36.71

-19.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.27 MX$39.21

-24.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.40 MX$24.20

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$1.13 MX$19.53

-46.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.83

$4.27 MX$73.8

58.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.86

$15.56 MX$269

-63.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.76 MX$30.36

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.60 MX$62.1

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.38 MX$6.62

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.98 €37.86

$19.18 MX$331

129.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 €4.93

$1.38 MX$23.77

314.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.28 MX$4.78

639.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.0 €49.08

$5.45 MX$94.1

946.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.30 MX$22.53

53.85%

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

$27.6K €23.8K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

47.95%

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

$32.9K €28.3K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

42.19%

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

$210 €181

$40.86 MX$706

414.68%

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

$15.58 €13.41

$26.81 MX$463

-41.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.73 €25.59

$29.96 MX$518

-0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.79

$52.0 MX$899

6.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.83 €19.66

$26.84 MX$464

-14.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.54 €9.93

$6.30 MX$109

83.17%

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

$559 €481

$436 MX$7,536

28.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,178 €7,902

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-11.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.0

$56.7 MX$979

61.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.15 €32.85

$44.38 MX$767

-14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.1

$103 MX$1,779

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$106 MX$1,823

29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 €636

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 €500

$631 MX$10.9K

-7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,044

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-43.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €812

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-24.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,130 €2,695

$3,903 MX$67.4K

-19.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,080 €1,791

$2,064 MX$35.7K

0.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.34

-58.73%

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

Last update for Arona: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Arona and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Arona vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $288 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,606 in Arona and $2,201 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Arona versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $559 in Arona 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 13% higher in Arona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,737 in Arona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arona. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arona 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 18% less than in Arona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.