Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Arta

For one person, living is cheaper in Arta: $1,357 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Arta, Greece
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Arta
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,357
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,357 in Arta, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Arta $1,357

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $2,014 in Arta, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Arta $2,014

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $2,670 in Arta, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Arta $2,670

Mexico City costs about 18% more than Arta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$11.12 €9.96
-4.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$44.53 €39.90
8.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$10.02 €8.98
3.29%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.7
$4.13 €3.70
-10.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.05
$2.88 €2.58
-42.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.58
$0.59 €0.53
115.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$5.37 €4.81
-40.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$6.26 €5.61
-15.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.13
$1.20 €1.07
43.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.6
$1.09 €0.98
178.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$0.93 €0.83
108.60%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$3.28 €2.93
-11.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$204
$13.31 €11.93
-17.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$11.39 €10.21
-18.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$11.19 €10.03
35.21%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$1.00 €0.89
205.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$1.24 €1.11
56.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.73
$1.20 €1.07
69.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.12
$1.03 €0.92
124.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.91
$1.24 €1.11
64.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.53
$1.11 €0.99
62.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.56
$0.80 €0.72
85.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.62
$0.18 €0.16
605.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.8
$5.17 €4.63
2.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$4.51 €4.04
256.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.95
$0.92 €0.83
115.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.2
$2.28 €2.04
86.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.68
$1.23 €1.10
-74.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
$43.68 €39.14
-54.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.23
$4.11 €3.69
-55.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
$1.09 €0.98
-51.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
$16.73 €14.99
-68.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.14
$2.11 €1.89
-28.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.3K
$28.0K €25.0K
-22.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$446.9K
$28.3K €25.4K
-15.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,173
$218 €196
-71.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$510
$23.36 €20.93
17.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$664
$24.22 €21.70
47.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,098
$50.9 €45.59
15.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
$21.67 €19.42
9.09%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$10.61 €9.50
-39.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,041
$479 €429
-9.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.8K
$9,057 €8,116
26.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,271
$91.1 €81.6
-25.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$28.21 €25.28
88.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,008
$77.8 €69.7
38.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,185
$89.7 €80.4
30.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.7K
$495 €443
124.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$388 €348
83.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$736 €660
251.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$618 €554
127.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.6K
$2,610 €2,339
39.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$1,755 €1,573
21.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Arta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
$895 €802
5.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
5.34
112.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Arta
$388 45.4% $322
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Arta
$222 30.5% $98
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Arta
$222 11.6% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Arta
$129 17.2% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Arta
$266 111% $140
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Arta
$72 0.5% $0.4
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Arta
$58 128% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $495 in Arta. 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 6% higher in Mexico City, 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $45 in Arta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $222 – making Arta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇬🇷 Arta
🕒 Local time
02:18 2:18 AM
10:18 10:18 AM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
19,435
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Arta 11,010 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Arta

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 Arta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arta cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $2,036 in Arta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $495 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $479 in Arta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Arta?
Groceries cost about 44% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Arta?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Arta, where all-in costs run around $1,357, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Arta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Arta?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,357 in Arta to $1,608 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Arta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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