Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,706 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,804 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 76% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 95% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$13.16 MX$229

37.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 $84.8

$53.6 MX$932

58.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.55 MX$166

3.56%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$3.72 MX$64.8

60.22%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.57 MX$27.28

63.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.16 MX$20.12

112.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.18 MX$55.4

109.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 $6.24

$4.63 MX$80.6

34.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.71 MX$29.67

-40.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.62 MX$45.54

43.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.89 MX$32.87

100.53%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.60 MX$45.17

42.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$9.91 MX$172

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$8.22 MX$143

9.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$11.78 MX$205

34.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.00 MX$52.1

111.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.80 MX$31.32

-21.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.07 MX$36.08

28.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$1.97 MX$34.23

170.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.07 MX$36.05

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.17 MX$37.84

117.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.40 MX$24.41

66.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.07 MX$18.70

101.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.12 MX$71.7

118.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$17.42 MX$303

-12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.68 MX$29.16

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.65 MX$63.5

-23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.38 MX$6.62

171.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.57 $29.57

$18.71 MX$326

58.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.33 MX$23.13

284.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.30 MX$5.27

403.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.20 $30.20

$5.51 MX$95.9

448.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.31 MX$22.72

-39.69%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$19.2K MX$333.5K

56.32%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$23.7K MX$413.3K

11.06%

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

$235 $235

$41.14 MX$716

471.51%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$27.74 MX$483

98.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$30.13 MX$524

129.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.22 $34.22

$53.7 MX$935

-36.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.92 $24.92

$25.98 MX$452

-4.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$6.49 MX$113

126.96%

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

$1,134 $1,134

$437 MX$7,598

159.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$10.5K MX$182.0K

95.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$58.3 MX$1,015

-4.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 $60.1

$45.86 MX$798

31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$101 MX$1,765

6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$107 MX$1,854

12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$1,005 MX$17.5K

66.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$634 MX$11.0K

106.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,273 $3,273

$2,148 MX$37.4K

52.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 $1,841

$1,247 MX$21.7K

47.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,765 $4,765

$3,859 MX$67.2K

23.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,263 $2,263

$2,085 MX$36.3K

8.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,072 MX$18.7K

230.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.34

-41.89%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,675 in Knoxville, TN and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 230% 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: $85.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $291 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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Knoxville, TN. 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 230% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,675 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Knoxville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $85.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $2,607 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. 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 $1,481 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.