Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Busto Arsizio

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,828 in Busto Arsizio, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Busto Arsizio
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Busto Arsizio Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Busto Arsizio

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Busto Arsizio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,828 in Busto Arsizio.

Mexico City $1,548
Busto Arsizio $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,845 in Busto Arsizio.

Mexico City $2,436
Busto Arsizio $2,845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,863 in Busto Arsizio.

Mexico City $3,323
Busto Arsizio $3,863

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 15% less than in Busto Arsizio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Busto Arsizio 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$22.53 €20.04

-51.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$90.8 €80.7

-46.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$11.20 €9.96

-2.68%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.24 €1.99

64.29%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$3.31 €2.94

-50.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.42 €1.26

-11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$6.69 €5.95

-51.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$6.00 €5.33

-7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.54 €1.37

10.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.35 €2.09

28.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$3.40 €3.02

-43.53%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.91 €4.36

-44.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$17.70 €15.74

-33.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$13.86 €12.33

-31.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$22.01 €19.58

-34.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.76 €2.45

9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.89 €1.69

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.50 €2.22

-20.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$3.26 €2.90

-32.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.65 €1.46

16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.04 €1.82

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.16 €1.04

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.65 €0.58

95.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$7.74 €6.89

-32.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.03 €4.48

221.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.53 €1.36

24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.60 €1.42

163.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.72 €1.53

-80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$42.93 €38.18

-54.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$4.01 €3.56

-50.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.26 €2.01

-76.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$39.57 €35.19

-86.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$2.11 €1.88

-27.96%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$35.9K €31.9K

-38.43%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$34.7K €30.9K

-29.42%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$198 €176

-69.17%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$12.01 €10.68

137.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$27.37 €24.35

25.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$31.00 €27.57

81.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$11.18 €9.94

-40.43%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$902 €802

-52.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$7,092 €6,309

64.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$90.1 €80.2

-24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$28.02 €24.93

85.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$108 €96.1

-1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$137 €122

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,279 €1,138

-19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$649 €577

0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,961 €1,744

17.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,086 €966

14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,535 €2,255

42.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,576 €1,402

22.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$2,194 €1,952

-56.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.65

209.59%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Busto Arsizio: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Busto Arsizio

$649 35.5% 0.8% $5.3

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Busto Arsizio

$354 19.4% 11.4% $36

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Busto Arsizio

$305 16.7% 49.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Busto Arsizio

$163 8.9% 7.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Busto Arsizio

$237 13% 91.3% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Busto Arsizio

$53 2.9% 23.4% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Busto Arsizio

$65 3.6% 154% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,279 in Busto Arsizio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busto Arsizio pays 128% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $91.0 in Busto Arsizio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $354 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇹 Busto Arsizio

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

18:02 6:02 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

83,094

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Busto Arsizio 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Busto Arsizio

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 Busto Arsizio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Busto Arsizio differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $1,828 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 128% lower in Busto Arsizio. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,279 in Busto Arsizio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $91.0 in Busto Arsizio. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $1,828 in Busto Arsizio – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,828 in Busto Arsizio, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Busto Arsizio. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Busto Arsizio 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 Busto Arsizio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.