Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, TN and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,116 in Athens, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Athens, TN
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Athens, TN Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

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Athens, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,116

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens, TN and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens, TN and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,116 per month in Athens, TN vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Athens, TN $2,116
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $3,286 per month in Athens, TN vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Athens, TN $3,286
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Athens, TN vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Athens, TN $4,457
Mexico City $3,537

Athens, TN costs about 26% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Athens, TN and Mexico City sit above the global median – Athens, TN by 56%, Mexico City by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.07 $30.07

$10.59 MX$197

183.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$52.0 MX$967

107.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$10.73 MX$200

11.37%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.80 MX$70.7

50.00%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.61 MX$30.01

82.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.21 MX$22.55

86.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.18 MX$59.1

105.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$5.44 MX$101

45.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.72 MX$31.96

-45.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.97 MX$55.2

-13.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.93 MX$35.84

103.63%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$2.77 MX$51.6

51.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$11.67 MX$217

18.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$9.48 MX$176

-29.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.75 $19.75

$15.37 MX$286

28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.10 MX$57.8

87.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.96 MX$36.49

-23.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$1.98 MX$36.88

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.34 MX$43.46

120.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.02 MX$37.66

75.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.82 MX$33.95

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.54 MX$28.74

39.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.31 MX$24.42

26.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.35 MX$99.6

27.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$16.19 MX$301

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.96 MX$36.46

98.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.35 MX$81.0

11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.30 MX$5.67

630.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 $53.5

$19.49 MX$363

174.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.92 MX$35.68

77.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.47 MX$8.80

225.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 $24.47

$5.41 MX$101

352.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.48 MX$27.61

-36.49%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.4K MX$397.7K

68.93%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$23.8K MX$442.1K

10.55%

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

$221 $221

$62.0 MX$1,154

255.78%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$28.47 MX$530

161.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 $55.7

$34.11 MX$635

63.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 $37.88

$58.4 MX$1,087

-35.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$8.21 $8.21

$6.59 MX$123

24.58%

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

$1,784 $1,784

$434 MX$8,081

310.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$14.0K MX$261.2K

147.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$68.4 MX$1,272

-22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 $45.25

$54.8 MX$1,020

-17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 $95.9

$111 MX$2,063

-13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$116 MX$2,159

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$1,179 MX$21.9K

-27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$771 MX$14.3K

-9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$2,570 MX$47.8K

-43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 $1,184

$1,420 MX$26.4K

-16.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,813 $2,813

$3,586 MX$66.7K

-21.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 $2,313

$2,064 MX$38.4K

12.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,189 $8,189

$1,003 MX$18.7K

716.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.35

-41.23%

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

Last update for Athens, TN: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Athens, TN

$695 32.9%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 10.9% $76

Eating Out

Athens, TN

$414 19.6%

Mexico City

$201 12% 51.6% $213

Groceries & Markets

Athens, TN

$392 18.6%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 17.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, TN

$351 16.6%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 64.5% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, TN

$136 6.4%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 16.1% $22

Getting Around

Athens, TN

$73 3.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 65.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, TN

$54 2.6%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 31.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $861 in Athens, TN versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Athens, TN are about 8.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Athens, TN versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $324 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, TN

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

12:26 12:26 PM

1 h behind Athens, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens, TN Mexico City 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens, TN
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Athens, TN vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, TN costs about 26% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,174 per month in Athens, TN and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Athens, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $861 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,784 per month in Athens, TN and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,116 in Athens, TN and $1,674 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,674 in Mexico City to $2,116 in Athens, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Athens, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.