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: $2,560 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,826 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,092 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 56% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 86% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 $17.39

$12.11 MX$204

43.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$52.2 MX$881

46.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$10.90 MX$184

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.05 MX$68.4

37.04%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.72 MX$28.95

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.38 MX$23.25

98.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 $6.51

$3.47 MX$58.5

87.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$5.81 MX$98.1

14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.85 MX$31.28

-43.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.22 MX$54.4

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.09 MX$35.20

125.36%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.91 MX$49.10

52.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$12.49 MX$211

-19.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$10.11 MX$171

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.89 MX$268

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.31 MX$56.0

109.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.13 MX$35.90

-30.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.19 MX$36.97

31.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.45 MX$41.31

122.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.19 MX$36.95

-1.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.90 MX$32.15

129.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.62 MX$27.26

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.35 MX$22.78

61.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$5.43 MX$91.6

84.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$17.59 MX$297

-15.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.07 MX$34.90

-5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.75 MX$80.1

-33.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.34 MX$5.74

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.77 $29.77

$21.58 MX$364

37.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.04 MX$34.44

141.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.58 MX$9.75

170.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 $30.23

$5.97 MX$101

406.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.62 MX$27.27

-44.44%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

60.98%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.7K MX$450.0K

2.14%

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

$221 $221

$65.2 MX$1,101

238.81%

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

$75.0 $75.0

$29.87 MX$504

151.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$36.55 MX$617

46.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 $30.08

$61.0 MX$1,030

-50.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.74 $21.74

$26.70 MX$451

-18.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$6.85 MX$116

121.90%

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

$1,230 $1,230

$453 MX$7,652

171.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$13.4K MX$225.7K

80.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$75.0 MX$1,265

-32.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.38 $45.38

$55.3 MX$933

-17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$114 MX$1,917

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$123 MX$2,070

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$1,134 MX$19.1K

55.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$712 MX$12.0K

74.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,968 $2,968

$2,571 MX$43.4K

15.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 $2,119

$1,311 MX$22.1K

61.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,780 $4,780

$3,993 MX$67.4K

19.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 $2,224

$2,095 MX$35.4K

6.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 $3,556

$1,047 MX$17.7K

239.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

11.3

-46.19%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,767 in Knoxville, TN and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 240% 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: $76.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $345 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 56% 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 240% 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: $1,767 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $52.0 versus $76.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,560 in Knoxville, TN, a $3,000 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 $1,646 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 56% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.