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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,816 in Arrest versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Arrest versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Arrest versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Arrest is roughly 9% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arrest 33% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.93

$11.92 MX$206

43.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €49.40

$51.6 MX$890

9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.01 €12.22

$11.41 MX$197

22.79%

Cappuccino

$3.07 €2.68

$3.99 MX$68.9

-23.06%

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

$3.26 €2.84

$1.66 MX$28.61

96.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.33 MX$22.87

65.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.79 €7.66

$3.47 MX$59.9

153.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.94

$5.90 MX$102

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.88 MX$32.36

-29.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.57

$3.25 MX$56.1

-44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$2.16 MX$37.26

21.30%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.56

$2.90 MX$49.94

41.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 €8.96

$12.86 MX$222

-20.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 €10.88

$10.05 MX$173

24.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.38 €14.28

$15.86 MX$273

3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.69

$3.29 MX$56.8

-6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 €2.77

$2.01 MX$34.60

58.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.20 MX$37.93

-32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 €3.88

$2.36 MX$40.63

88.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.05 MX$35.43

-9.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.90 MX$32.79

14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.61 MX$27.68

5.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 €0.12

$1.40 MX$24.09

-90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 €11.38

$5.46 MX$94.2

139.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.00

$17.65 MX$304

-67.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.32

$2.06 MX$35.44

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.48

$4.68 MX$80.8

-63.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 €1.46

$0.34 MX$5.84

394.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.30 €42.98

$20.81 MX$359

136.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.10 MX$36.15

11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.56 MX$9.64

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.19 €28.94

$5.81 MX$100

471.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.61 MX$27.68

27.95%

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

$36.3K €31.6K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

58.75%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

37.93%

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

$211 €184

$65.2 MX$1,124

223.92%

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

$33.52 €29.22

$30.09 MX$519

11.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 €29.29

$37.18 MX$641

-9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.87 €30.40

$59.8 MX$1,030

-41.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 €14.18

$7.04 MX$121

130.97%

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

$919 €801

$465 MX$8,012

97.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.3K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-11.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 €115

$75.9 MX$1,308

73.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.06 €41.02

$56.0 MX$965

-15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$112 MX$1,929

-8.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €139

$121 MX$2,078

32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 €629

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-34.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €537

$721 MX$12.4K

-14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 €1,141

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-48.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €998

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-11.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,433 €3,864

$3,991 MX$68.8K

11.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,325 €2,899

$2,090 MX$36.0K

59.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

11.3

-65.49%

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

Last update for Arrest: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $722 in Arrest and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Arrest vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $345, with Arrest cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,724 in Arrest and $2,489 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: $722 in Arrest versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $919 in Arrest versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Arrest pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,816 in Arrest, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arrest. 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 Arrest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arrest 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 9% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.