Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Fort Smith, 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 Fort Smith, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Mexico City $1,608
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Mexico City $2,549
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Mexico City $3,490
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 18% less than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Fort Smith, AR 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$20.20 $20.20

-47.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$64.6 $64.6

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$11.43 $11.43

-9.45%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$5.32 $5.32

-30.64%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$2.39 $2.39

-30.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$2.00 $2.00

-36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$5.96 $5.96

-46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$9.04 $9.04

-41.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$0.95 $0.95

81.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$3.26 $3.26

-6.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$3.78 $3.78

-48.68%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.89 $2.89

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$7.55 $7.55

45.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$10.76 $10.76

-14.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$19.61 $19.61

-22.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$4.77 $4.77

-36.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.45 $1.45

33.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.48 $2.48

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$2.11 $2.11

9.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.90 $1.90

7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.58 $1.58

13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.75 $1.75

-15.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$2.28 $2.28

-44.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$8.33 $8.33

-36.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$13.89 $13.89

15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.82 $1.82

8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.64 $2.64

60.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$1.22 $1.22

-74.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$35.44 $35.44

-44.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$2.68 $2.68

-31.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$1.29 $1.29

-58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$29.99 $29.99

-82.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$0.76 $0.76

98.68%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-16.20%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

-6.24%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$276 $276

-77.15%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$69.5 $69.5

-60.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$69.1 $69.1

-48.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$27.06 $27.06

117.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$16.22 $16.22

45.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$13.52 $13.52

-52.66%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$918 $918

-52.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$23.5K $23.5K

-51.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$54.7 $54.7

24.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$41.77 $41.77

27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$91.8 $91.8

17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$77.6 $77.6

51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$683 $683

63.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$646 $646

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$1,536 $1,536

68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$1,295 $1,295

8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,557 $1,557

133.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,561 $1,561

36.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$3,154 $3,154

-70.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.38

77.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 9.1% $65

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 7.2% $23

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 63.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 23.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 229% $288

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 24.6% $18

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 94.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $342 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

89,142

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Fort Smith, AR 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Fort Smith, 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 Fort Smith, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – Mexico City is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 44% less than in Fort Smith, AR. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Fort Smith, AR on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.