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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,737 in Arona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,649 in Arona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,560 in Arona.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 16% less than in Arona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Arona 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$18.92 €16.29

-30.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$93.4 €80.4

-42.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.20 €7.92

2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.91 €1.65

85.86%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$3.10 €2.67

-47.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$1.13 €0.98

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$4.26 €3.67

-26.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$5.52 €4.75

-16.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.97 €1.69

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$2.48 €2.14

9.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$3.42 €2.94

-44.15%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$3.15 €2.71

-19.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$15.72 €13.53

-36.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$13.29 €11.44

-39.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.80 €11.88

-15.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.74 €2.36

8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.71 €1.47

5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$3.09 €2.66

-34.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$2.86 €2.46

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.70 €1.46

24.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.72 €1.48

31.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.35 €1.16

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.60 €0.52

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$6.77 €5.83

-36.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.65 €4.86

175.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$2.16 €1.86

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.70 €2.32

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.76 €1.52

-78.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$43.98 €37.86

-56.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$5.72 €4.93

-75.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$2.07 €1.78

-86.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$57.0 €49.08

-90.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$2.00 €1.72

-35.00%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$27.6K €23.8K

-32.41%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$32.9K €28.3K

-29.67%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$210 €181

-80.57%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$15.58 €13.41

72.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$29.73 €25.59

0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$55.5 €47.79

-6.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$22.83 €19.66

17.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.54 €9.93

-45.41%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$559 €481

-22.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$9,178 €7,902

13.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$91.7 €79.0

-38.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$38.15 €32.85

16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$108 €93.1

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$136 €117

-22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$738 €636

38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$581 €500

8.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,213 €1,044

76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$943 €812

31.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$3,130 €2,695

24.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,080 €1,791

-0.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.68

142.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arona: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $738 in Arona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $93.0 in Arona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $325 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 Arona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $2,606 in Arona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $738 in Arona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $559 in Arona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Arona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,737 in Arona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arona. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Arona 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 18% less than in Arona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.