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: $2,627 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,779 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 79% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 96% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$13.30 MX$231

33.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$53.8 MX$932

57.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$9.42 MX$163

6.37%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$3.59 MX$62.3

62.40%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.62 MX$28.13

51.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.12 MX$19.49

109.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.25 MX$56.3

95.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 $6.27

$4.65 MX$80.6

34.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.64 MX$28.37

-34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.65 MX$46.00

42.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.96 MX$33.99

104.59%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$2.54 MX$44.08

48.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$9.97 MX$173

1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$8.39 MX$145

1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$11.83 MX$205

30.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$2.86 MX$49.62

119.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.73 MX$30.05

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.99 MX$34.50

30.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.05 MX$35.51

163.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.06 MX$35.64

6.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.28 MX$39.54

99.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.45 MX$25.05

65.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.09 MX$18.83

104.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.27 MX$73.9

112.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$14.67 MX$254

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.76 MX$30.58

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.57 MX$61.8

-19.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.38 MX$6.67

168.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 $29.43

$18.73 MX$325

57.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.39 MX$24.09

256.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.30 MX$5.26

403.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$5.41 MX$93.8

444.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.34 MX$23.22

-36.57%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

60.64%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

14.40%

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

$240 $240

$40.30 MX$698

496.67%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$27.15 MX$471

97.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$29.46 MX$510

133.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$52.7 MX$914

-33.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 $25.38

$26.17 MX$454

-3.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$6.18 MX$107

130.91%

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

$1,140 $1,140

$441 MX$7,637

158.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

92.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$57.2 MX$992

-2.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 $59.2

$45.04 MX$781

31.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$103 MX$1,793

5.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$109 MX$1,884

11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$1,000 MX$17.3K

65.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$632 MX$11.0K

103.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$2,141 MX$37.1K

47.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 $1,805

$1,253 MX$21.7K

44.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,694 $4,694

$3,745 MX$64.9K

25.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,222 $2,222

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-6.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,511 $3,511

$1,079 MX$18.7K

225.30%

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Knoxville, TN and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 225% 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 in Knoxville, TN vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $286 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 79% 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.

Knoxville, TN pays 225% 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: $1,655 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $1,466 in Mexico City versus $2,627 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 $1,466 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 79% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.