Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Arica

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $110 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Arica
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Arica Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Arica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $110 in Arica, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Arica $110

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $177 in Arica, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Arica $177

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $245 in Arica, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Arica $245

Mexico City costs about 1307% more than Arica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Arica is 92% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.22 CLP 1,197

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.99 CLP 977

71.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.75 CLP 739

-54.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$40.50 CLP 39.9K

67.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$20.06 CLP 19.7K

159.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$52.7 CLP 51.8K

101.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$91.8 CLP 90.3K

22.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$501 CLP 493.0K

92.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

126.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Arica: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Arica

$9.9 * 9% 96.9% $308

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Arica

$4.9 * 4.4% 97.6% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Arica

$92 83.8% 39.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Arica

$3 * 2.7% 88.3% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 92% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇱 Arica

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

202,131

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Arica 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Arica

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 Arica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City, $110 in Arica – roughly 1307% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $165 in Arica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $110 in Arica. That's a gap of about 1307%.

Groceries cost about 3107% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $110, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Arica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $110 in Arica to $1,548 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Arica. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.