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: $1,861 in Athens versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,836 in Athens versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,811 in Athens versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Athens is roughly 12% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 36% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.90

$11.92 MX$206

43.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €60.5

$51.6 MX$890

34.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 €10.25

$11.41 MX$197

2.98%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.69

$3.99 MX$68.9

6.27%

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

$2.91 €2.53

$1.66 MX$28.61

75.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$1.33 MX$22.87

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.90

$3.47 MX$59.9

61.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 €5.18

$5.90 MX$102

0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.63

$1.88 MX$32.36

-0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.24

$3.25 MX$56.1

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.49

$2.16 MX$37.26

32.41%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.21

$2.90 MX$49.94

66.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 €13.52

$12.86 MX$222

20.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 €9.61

$10.05 MX$173

9.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.35 €16.87

$15.86 MX$273

22.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$3.29 MX$56.8

-32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.81

$2.01 MX$34.60

3.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$2.20 MX$37.93

-35.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$2.36 MX$40.63

-6.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 €0.98

$2.05 MX$35.43

-45.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.90 MX$32.79

-35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.61 MX$27.68

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.40 MX$24.09

-37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.93 €5.17

$5.46 MX$94.2

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 €9.21

$17.65 MX$304

-40.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.06 MX$35.44

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.38

$4.68 MX$80.8

-41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.22

$0.34 MX$5.84

311.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.55 €27.50

$20.81 MX$359

51.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.12

$2.10 MX$36.15

124.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.90

$0.56 MX$9.64

83.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.61 €15.35

$5.81 MX$100

203.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.06

$1.61 MX$27.68

46.58%

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

$29.2K €25.4K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

27.64%

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

$28.5K €24.8K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

6.39%

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

$216 €188

$65.2 MX$1,124

230.87%

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

$27.29 €23.79

$30.09 MX$519

-9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.08 €27.09

$37.18 MX$641

-16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 €47.24

$59.8 MX$1,030

-9.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 €23.80

$26.55 MX$458

2.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 €9.12

$7.04 MX$121

48.72%

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

$607 €529

$465 MX$8,012

30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.7K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.9

$75.9 MX$1,308

20.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 €36.58

$56.0 MX$965

-24.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.8

$112 MX$1,929

-6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €114

$121 MX$2,078

8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 €664

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-30.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 €576

$721 MX$12.4K

-8.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 €1,190

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-46.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,040

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-7.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,927 €3,423

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-1.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,314 €2,889

$2,090 MX$36.0K

58.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,299 €1,132

$1,037 MX$17.9K

25.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

11.3

-61.33%

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

Last update for Athens: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $761 in Athens and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 25% 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: $69.0 in Athens vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $345, with Athens 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 12% 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.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Athens, 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: $761 in Athens versus $1,103 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 $52.0 versus $69.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,861 per month in Athens versus $1,660 in Mexico City – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,861 in Athens, a $3,000 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 $1,660 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 12% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.