Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Araxa

For one person, living is cheaper in Araxa: $828 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Araxa
Learn more

Araxa Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Araxa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Araxa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Araxa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $828 in Araxa.

Mexico City $1,674
Araxa $828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,316 in Araxa.

Mexico City $2,606
Araxa $1,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $1,805 in Araxa.

Mexico City $3,537
Araxa $1,805

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Araxa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Araxa is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$198

$5.52 R$30.37

91.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$972

$30.28 R$167

71.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$7.24 R$39.84

48.20%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.0

$1.84 R$10.13

106.52%

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

$1.61 MX$30.16

$1.21 R$6.64

33.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.67

$0.69 R$3.82

75.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

$1.84 R$10.11

72.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$2.83 R$15.56

92.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.00 R$5.49

72.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.5

$1.59 R$8.75

86.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.02

$1.19 R$6.55

62.18%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.9

$1.98 R$10.88

39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$218

$8.70 R$47.88

34.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$177

$4.13 R$22.72

129.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$288

$7.77 R$42.79

97.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.1

$2.11 R$11.61

46.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$1.19 R$6.55

64.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.07

$1.13 R$6.23

75.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.68

$1.49 R$8.21

57.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.85

$1.14 R$6.26

77.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.13

$1.00 R$5.51

82.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.89

$0.73 R$3.99

110.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.54

$0.72 R$3.99

81.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$2.30 R$12.65

132.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

$7.27 R$40.02

122.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

$1.22 R$6.72

60.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

$1.97 R$10.83

120.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.70

$0.91 R$5.03

-67.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$365

$42.36 R$233

-53.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$1.24 R$6.83

54.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.84

$0.85 R$4.66

-44.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$7.61 R$41.88

-28.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.75

$1.22 R$6.69

21.31%

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

$21.4K MX$399.7K

$22.1K R$121.7K

-3.37%

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

$23.8K MX$444.3K

$31.4K R$172.7K

-24.31%

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

$62.0 MX$1,160

$71.7 R$395

-13.52%

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

$28.47 MX$533

$11.48 R$63.2

148.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$638

$19.98 R$110

70.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,092

$24.09 R$133

142.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$458

$26.10 R$144

-6.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$6.85 R$37.72

-3.80%

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

$434 MX$8,122

$257 R$1,415

68.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$262.5K

$6,762 R$37.2K

107.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,278

$50.9 R$280

34.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,025

$46.24 R$254

18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,073

$84.3 R$464

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,169

$65.8 R$362

76.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$337 R$1,853

250.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.4K

$234 R$1,286

230.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.1K

$626 R$3,448

310.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.6K

$455 R$2,506

211.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

$1,554 R$8,554

130.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

$1,151 R$6,336

79.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$228 R$1,253

340.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Araxa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Araxa

$234 28.2% 69.7% $537

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Araxa

$180 21.7% 44.4% $144

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Araxa

$110 13.3% 45% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Araxa

$111 13.5% 29.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Araxa

$103 12.5% 17.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Araxa

$38 4.6% 47.2% $34

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Araxa

$51 6.2% 106% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $337 in Araxa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $30 in Araxa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $180 per month, with Araxa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Araxa

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

11:35 11:35 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

111,691

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Araxa 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Araxa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Araxa wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Araxa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 4.4 times higher, 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $337 in Araxa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $828 in Araxa – Araxa is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 54% less than in Araxa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Araxa is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Araxa wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.