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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,024 in Arrest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $3,057 in Arrest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $4,090 in Arrest.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 27% less than in Arrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Arrest 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$17.12 €14.66

-24.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$72.6 €62.1

-26.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$14.13 €12.09

-31.21%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$4.70 €4.02

-20.21%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$4.15 €3.55

-62.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$3.43 €2.94

-67.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$7.86 €6.73

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$8.11 €6.95

-42.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.55 €1.32

4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.07 €1.77

30.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.88 €2.46

-34.72%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$5.21 €4.46

-51.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$25.57 €21.89

-60.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.27 €12.21

-41.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$20.13 €17.23

-40.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.48 €2.98

-17.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.47 €2.12

-29.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.39 €2.90

-38.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$3.75 €3.21

-47.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.61 €2.24

-17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.95 €2.53

-26.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.87 €1.60

-25.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.92 €0.78

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$15.02 €12.86

-72.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.57 €5.63

116.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.79 €2.39

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$4.14 €3.54

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.00 €1.71

-80.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$48.13 €41.20

-61.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$4.61 €3.95

-69.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$2.09 €1.79

-85.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$55.7 €47.67

-90.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$2.09 €1.79

-35.41%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$35.9K €30.7K

-47.34%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$36.7K €31.4K

-36.84%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$247 €211

-83.46%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$17.02 €14.57

61.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$36.22 €31.00

-16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$38.07 €32.59

40.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$18.15 €15.54

44.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$15.32 €13.11

-59.07%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$891 €762

-51.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$8,798 €7,531

18.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$115 €98.4

-50.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$46.93 €40.17

-4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$125 €107

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$157 €134

-31.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$776 €664

28.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$616 €527

0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,366 €1,170

56.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$1,104 €945

11.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$4,622 €3,957

-16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,742 €2,347

-14.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.55

219.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Arrest: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $776 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $73.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $409 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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $3,037 in Arrest 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $776 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $891 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,024 in Arrest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Arrest. 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 Arrest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Arrest 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 36% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.