Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Arlington, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Arlington, VA

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

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Arlington, VA $3,568

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $5,411 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Arlington, VA $5,411

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $7,255 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Arlington, VA $7,255

Mexico City is about 56% cheaper than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Arlington, VA sit above the global median – Mexico City by 16%, Arlington, VA by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$23.97 $23.97

-55.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$99.0 $99.0

-49.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$10.85 $10.85

2.30%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.97 $5.97

-38.36%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$3.09 $3.09

-46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$2.42 $2.42

-46.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$7.97 $7.97

-58.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$8.93 $8.93

-37.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.25 $1.25

41.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$4.35 $4.35

-29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$5.46 $5.46

-63.19%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$5.24 $5.24

-47.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$21.58 $21.58

-44.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$15.93 $15.93

-41.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$23.20 $23.20

-35.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$5.70 $5.70

-45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.83 $1.83

6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$4.62 $4.62

-56.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$5.87 $5.87

-62.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$3.21 $3.21

-37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$3.77 $3.77

-51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.33 $2.33

-34.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$2.47 $2.47

-48.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$10.36 $10.36

-49.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$16.94 $16.94

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$2.89 $2.89

-32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.90 $2.90

46.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$2.79 $2.79

-88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$122 $122

-83.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$4.08 $4.08

-50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.23 $1.23

-56.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$25.15 $25.15

-77.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.01 $1.01

50.50%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$34.3K $34.3K

-38.69%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-0.29%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$165 $165

-62.15%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$50.7 $50.7

-43.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$60.8 $60.8

-43.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$70.2 $70.2

-18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$18.96 $18.96

30.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$16.37 $16.37

-59.25%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$1,612 $1,612

-73.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$35.9K $35.9K

-67.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$55.1 $55.1

28.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$62.6 $62.6

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$103 $103

5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$161 $161

-30.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$2,488 $2,488

-57.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$1,987 $1,987

-66.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$4,810 $4,810

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$3,596 $3,596

-65.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$6,380 $6,380

-44.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$4,983 $4,983

-60.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$6,625 $6,625

-85.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.79

66.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Arlington, VA

$2K 55.7% 199% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Arlington, VA

$510 14.3% 58.2% $188

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Arlington, VA

$376 10.5% 85.1% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Arlington, VA

$172 4.8% 11.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Arlington, VA

$277 7.8% 120% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Arlington, VA

$103 2.9% 46.1% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Arlington, VA

$143 4% 456% $118

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $2,488 in Arlington, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 580% higher in Arlington, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City versus $99.0 in Arlington, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $510 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

01:03 1:03 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

365,438

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Arlington, VA 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Arlington, VA

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 Arlington, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 128% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $5,352 in Arlington, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City and $99.0 in Arlington, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Arlington, VA at $3,568. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,567 versus $3,568 in Arlington, VA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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