Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Fayetteville, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Fayetteville, AR, United States
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Fayetteville, AR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,098
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Fayetteville, AR

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Fayetteville, AR $2,098

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $3,215 in Fayetteville, AR, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Fayetteville, AR $3,215

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $4,331 in Fayetteville, AR, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Fayetteville, AR $4,331

Mexico City is about 23% cheaper than Fayetteville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Fayetteville, AR sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Fayetteville, AR by 54%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$16.24 $16.24
-34.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$78.8 $78.8
-38.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$9.32 $9.32
11.05%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.7
$5.29 $5.29
-30.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.05
$2.16 $2.16
-22.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.58
$1.70 $1.70
-25.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$6.05 $6.05
-47.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$7.04 $7.04
-24.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.13
$0.90 $0.90
91.11%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.6
$3.59 $3.59
-15.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$3.78 $3.78
-48.68%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$5.44 $5.44
-46.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$204
$8.13 $8.13
34.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$8.45 $8.45
9.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$13.52 $13.52
11.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$4.48 $4.48
-31.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$1.53 $1.53
26.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.73
$2.71 $2.71
-25.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.12
$3.98 $3.98
-41.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.91
$1.98 $1.98
3.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.53
$2.55 $2.55
-29.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.56
$1.48 $1.48
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.62
$2.00 $2.00
-36.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.8
$9.41 $9.41
-43.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$14.01 $14.01
14.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.95
$1.82 $1.82
8.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.2
$3.15 $3.15
34.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.68
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.23
$2.80 $2.80
-34.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
$1.28 $1.28
-58.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
$30.23 $30.23
-82.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.14
$0.97 $0.97
55.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.3K
$27.0K $27.0K
-19.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$446.9K
$26.0K $26.0K
-7.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,173
$177 $177
-64.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$510
$54.9 $54.9
-50.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$664
$62.4 $62.4
-42.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,098
$30.86 $30.86
90.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$9.91 $9.91
-35.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,041
$1,094 $1,094
-60.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.8K
$23.3K $23.3K
-50.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,271
$52.7 $52.7
29.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$41.94 $41.94
26.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,008
$107 $107
0.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,185
$139 $139
-15.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.7K
$1,485 $1,485
-25.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$974 $974
-27.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$2,319 $2,319
11.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$1,792 $1,792
-21.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.6K
$3,758 $3,758
-3.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$2,199 $2,199
-2.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Fayetteville, AR
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
$3,634 $3,634
-73.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
6.45
75.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Fayetteville, AR
$974 37.1% $263
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Fayetteville, AR
$336 5.1% $16
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Fayetteville, AR
$281 41.6% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Fayetteville, AR
$154 1.5% $2.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Fayetteville, AR
$294 134% $168
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Fayetteville, AR
$51 29.4% $21
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Fayetteville, AR
$9.2 * 63.9% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,485 in Fayetteville, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fayetteville, AR are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $79 in Fayetteville, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $336 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇸 Fayetteville, AR
🕒 Local time
19:58 7:58 PM
20:58 8:58 PM
1 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
93,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR 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 = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Fayetteville, AR 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Fayetteville, AR

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 Fayetteville, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Fayetteville, AR compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR – Mexico City comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Fayetteville, AR?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $3,148 in Fayetteville, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Fayetteville, AR?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,113 there versus $1,485 in Fayetteville, AR.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $79 in Fayetteville, AR. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Fayetteville, AR, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $3,000 go in Mexico City compared to Fayetteville, AR?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Mexico City or Fayetteville, AR?
Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Fayetteville, AR?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fayetteville, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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