Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Arendal Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Arendal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,203 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $3,348 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $4,494 in Arendal.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 33% less than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Arendal 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$17.89 NOK 172

-26.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$74.8 NOK 717

-28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$15.38 NOK 148

-39.34%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$5.16 NOK 49.49

-28.29%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$3.29 NOK 31.56

-51.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$3.08 NOK 29.52

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$11.02 NOK 106

-71.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$9.95 NOK 95.5

-51.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$2.41 NOK 23.09

-31.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$3.17 NOK 30.41

-14.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$3.68 NOK 35.30

-48.10%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$4.33 NOK 41.56

-40.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$13.30 NOK 128

-26.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$15.42 NOK 148

-45.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$27.89 NOK 268

-57.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$3.47 NOK 33.26

-14.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$2.54 NOK 24.37

-31.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$3.12 NOK 29.90

-34.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$4.83 NOK 46.31

-57.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$2.08 NOK 19.91

3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$2.95 NOK 28.33

-23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$2.61 NOK 25.02

-46.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$1.80 NOK 17.28

-37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$15.08 NOK 145

-72.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$17.78 NOK 171

-1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$3.36 NOK 32.24

-49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$4.02 NOK 38.52

-9.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$3.81 NOK 36.51

-90.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$106 NOK 1,021

-81.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$8.29 NOK 79.5

-83.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$2.05 NOK 19.71

-86.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$30.83 NOK 296

-82.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$2.06 NOK 19.80

-33.98%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$34.7K NOK 332.7K

-44.93%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$33.3K NOK 319.9K

-29.21%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$191 NOK 1,835

-78.81%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$35.33 NOK 339

-22.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$74.4 NOK 713

-59.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$44.23 NOK 424

18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$52.6 NOK 504

-49.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$11.96 NOK 115

-48.24%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$308 NOK 2,952

38.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

5.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$97.7 NOK 937

-40.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$59.6 NOK 572

-25.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$104 NOK 994

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$161 NOK 1,542

-32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$1,071 NOK 10.3K

-5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$704 NOK 6,753

-11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$1,317 NOK 12.6K

60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$1,138 NOK 10.9K

7.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$3,161 NOK 30.3K

19.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$2,090 NOK 20.0K

0.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$4,017 NOK 38.5K

-73.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.6

215.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $1,071 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 282% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $462 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

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

Mexico City and Arendal differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $2,203 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 282% lower in Arendal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,203 in Arendal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Arendal 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 50% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.