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: $1,965 in Arrest versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,042 in Arrest versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,118 in Arrest versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Arrest is roughly 36% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arrest 46% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €14.75

$12.98 MX$223

31.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.9 €62.8

$52.6 MX$903

38.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 €11.73

$9.43 MX$162

44.43%

Cappuccino

$4.78 €4.12

$3.57 MX$61.3

33.89%

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

$4.10 €3.54

$1.61 MX$27.55

154.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.86

$1.15 MX$19.81

188.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 €6.93

$3.15 MX$54.0

155.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 €6.95

$4.86 MX$83.4

66.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.70 MX$29.17

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.64 MX$45.23

-24.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.90 MX$32.67

56.32%

Eggs

$5.10 €4.40

$2.54 MX$43.62

100.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.29 €21.79

$10.08 MX$173

150.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 €12.00

$8.29 MX$142

68.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.68 €16.95

$11.57 MX$199

70.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.03 MX$52.0

15.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.71 MX$29.35

39.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 €3.05

$2.05 MX$35.16

72.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 €3.20

$2.06 MX$35.36

80.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.23

$2.06 MX$35.43

25.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 €2.59

$2.17 MX$37.25

38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.40 MX$24.08

29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.12 MX$19.26

-24.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 €13.19

$4.29 MX$73.7

256.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 €5.62

$15.41 MX$265

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.37

$1.67 MX$28.74

65.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 €3.57

$3.69 MX$63.3

12.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.73

$0.38 MX$6.55

426.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.40 €42.56

$19.06 MX$327

159.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.05

$1.38 MX$23.70

240.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.28 MX$4.74

635.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.9 €48.13

$5.42 MX$92.9

930.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.28 MX$21.98

61.72%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

84.48%

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

$36.5K €31.4K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

55.57%

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

$246 €212

$41.02 MX$704

500.46%

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

$16.87 €14.54

$26.92 MX$462

-37.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.72 €30.78

$29.69 MX$510

20.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.72 €32.50

$52.3 MX$898

-27.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.60

$26.23 MX$450

-31.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.64 €13.47

$6.18 MX$106

153.07%

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

$890 €767

$427 MX$7,331

108.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,749 €7,538

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-18.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.4

$56.8 MX$975

103.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.59 €40.14

$44.83 MX$769

3.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €108

$105 MX$1,794

19.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €137

$106 MX$1,819

50.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 €661

$995 MX$17.1K

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 €533

$621 MX$10.7K

-0.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 €1,206

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €944

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-12.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,739 €3,222

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-4.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,932 €2,526

$2,096 MX$36.0K

39.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

11.34

-68.69%

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

Last update for Arrest: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Arrest and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Arrest vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,948 in Arrest and $2,171 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: $767 in Arrest versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $890 in Arrest versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,965 in Arrest, a $2,000 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 36% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.