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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Athens is roughly 16% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.06

$13.18 MX$228

32.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$53.9 MX$931

17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$9.42 MX$163

12.74%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.74

$3.55 MX$61.3

22.25%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.62 MX$27.95

53.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.11 MX$19.25

-39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.08

$3.12 MX$53.9

89.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$4.63 MX$80.0

25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.70 MX$29.40

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$2.72 MX$46.97

-48.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.49

$1.91 MX$33.04

51.83%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.38

$2.54 MX$43.82

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.62

$10.03 MX$173

46.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.74

$8.09 MX$140

39.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.98

$11.62 MX$201

29.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.97 MX$51.3

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.81 MX$31.21

19.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.01 MX$34.79

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.03 MX$35.16

13.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.12 MX$36.71

-36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.27 MX$39.21

-48.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.40 MX$24.20

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.13 MX$19.53

-7.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$4.27 MX$73.8

30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.12

$15.56 MX$269

-24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.76 MX$30.36

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$3.60 MX$62.1

-19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$0.38 MX$6.62

271.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.69

$19.18 MX$331

79.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$1.38 MX$23.77

234.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.28 MX$4.78

292.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.92

$5.45 MX$94.1

217.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.30 MX$22.53

64.62%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

52.20%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

31.29%

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

$219 €188

$40.86 MX$706

435.49%

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

$26.82 €23.09

$26.81 MX$463

0.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.88

$29.96 MX$518

15.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.13

$52.0 MX$899

9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.87

$26.84 MX$464

-1.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.89

$6.30 MX$109

63.97%

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

$552 €475

$436 MX$7,536

26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,693

$10.4K MX$180.0K

8.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.8

$56.7 MX$979

63.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €40.99

$44.38 MX$767

7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.2

$103 MX$1,779

-2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$106 MX$1,823

14.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €568

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$631 MX$10.9K

-7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,017

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €886

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-17.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,542

$3,903 MX$67.4K

5.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,917

$2,064 MX$35.7K

64.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,155

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

11.34

-56.00%

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

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 20% 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: $64.0 in Athens vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 20% more on average, 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: $660 in Athens versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,696 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens 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 16% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.