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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,011 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,597 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,182 in Arzamas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 64% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Arzamas is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$10.66 ₽901

11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$31.71 ₽2,679

62.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.90 ₽583

65.36%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.42 ₽205

64.88%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.04 ₽87.6

59.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.56 ₽47.00

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.91 ₽162

81.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.14 ₽265

87.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.17 ₽98.6

60.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.75 ₽63.3

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.25 ₽105

72.80%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.37 ₽116

111.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$10.29 ₽869

24.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.12 ₽433

96.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$10.12 ₽855

56.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.70 ₽144

93.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.59 ₽134

26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.65 ₽139

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.76 ₽234

-14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.69 ₽58.0

197.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.61 ₽51.8

211.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.41 ₽119

14.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.66 ₽55.9

112.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.16 ₽267

72.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.78 ₽657

126.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.05 ₽89.1

96.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.05 ₽173

128.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.49 ₽41.65

-30.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$2.40 ₽203

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.28 ₽23.96

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.20 ₽524

-6.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.85 ₽72.1

89.41%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$30.0K ₽2.5M

-23.96%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$32.7K ₽2.8M

-18.26%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$114 ₽9,661

-43.00%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$6.21 ₽524

384.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$8.09 ₽684

359.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$38.88 ₽3,285

53.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$22.50 ₽1,901

18.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.12 ₽432

37.50%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$289 ₽24.4K

60.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$7,150 ₽604.1K

85.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$65.5 ₽5,533

15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$56.6 ₽4,782

-1.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$112 ₽9,447

0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$94.1 ₽7,946

28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$298 ₽25.2K

270.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$317 ₽26.8K

127.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$481 ₽40.6K

426.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$568 ₽48.0K

127.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,219 ₽187.5K

79.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,399 ₽118.2K

49.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-46.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $298 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $197 per month, with Arzamas 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 Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Arzamas differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,011 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,516 in Arzamas 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $298 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $1,011 in Arzamas – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Arzamas versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arzamas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Arzamas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arzamas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.