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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $2,235 in Arun, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,342 per month in Mexico City vs $3,360 in Arun, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Mexico City vs $4,484 in Arun, rent included.

Mexico City is about 34% cheaper than Arun, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Arun sit above the global median – Mexico City by 10%, Arun by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$18.94 £14.03

-29.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$111 £82.1

-51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$10.78 £7.99

-13.82%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.78 £2.06

29.86%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$2.86 £2.12

-45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.86 £1.38

-39.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$2.77 £2.06

13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$3.43 £2.54

37.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.78 £1.32

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$2.10 £1.56

31.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$2.57 £1.90

-23.74%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$4.79 £3.55

-45.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$4.68 £3.47

112.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$8.73 £6.47

-7.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$14.74 £10.92

-21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$2.06 £1.53

39.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.43 £1.06

20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$3.20 £2.37

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.58 £2.65

-43.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.39 £1.03

49.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.07 £0.79

105.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.81 £0.60

79.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.12 £0.83

-4.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$18.39 £13.63

-76.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$14.11 £10.46

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$2.06 £1.53

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$4.01 £2.97

-7.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$4.45 £3.30

-92.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$88.8 £65.8

-78.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$5.59 £4.14

-76.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.74 £1.29

-83.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$41.10 £30.46

-87.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.88 £1.40

-28.72%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$38.2K £28.3K

-49.94%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$39.6K £29.4K

-39.73%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$325 £241

-87.74%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$20.22 £14.98

32.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$42.71 £31.65

-31.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$54.5 £40.36

-1.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$6.26 £4.64

2.24%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$2,513 £1,862

-82.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$28.6K £21.2K

-62.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$34.38 £25.48

67.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$39.43 £29.22

14.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$128 £94.7

-18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$68.6 £50.8

57.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$1,202 £891

-15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$1,021 £757

-38.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$2,023 £1,499

6.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$1,678 £1,243

-27.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$3,482 £2,580

-69.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.05

124.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Arun: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Mexico City versus $1,202 in Arun. 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 224% higher in Arun, 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 $54 in Mexico City versus $111 in Arun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $289 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Arun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arun costs about 51% more than Mexico City, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,226 per month in Mexico City and $3,353 in Arun. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $111 in Arun. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,484 in Mexico City and $2,235 in Arun. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,484, than in Arun at $2,235. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arun it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,484 versus $2,235 in Arun. 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, Arun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.