Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Melbourne, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,394 in Melbourne, AR, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, AR
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Melbourne, AR Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Melbourne, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,394 in Melbourne, AR.

Mexico City $1,548
Melbourne, AR $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $3,462 in Melbourne, AR.

Mexico City $2,436
Melbourne, AR $3,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $4,530 in Melbourne, AR.

Mexico City $3,323
Melbourne, AR $4,530

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 35% less than in Melbourne, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Melbourne, AR 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$6.76 $6.76

63.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$78.5 $78.5

-37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$9.36 $9.36

16.45%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.70 $5.70

-35.44%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.89 $1.89

-13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.63 $1.63

-23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$5.84 $5.84

-44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$7.03 $7.03

-21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.95 $0.95

78.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.81 $3.81

-20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$6.02 $6.02

-68.11%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$5.15 $5.15

-46.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$8.13 $8.13

44.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$8.53 $8.53

11.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$13.24 $13.24

8.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.56 $4.56

-33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.47 $1.47

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.78 $2.78

-28.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.57 $4.57

-52.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.90 $1.90

1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.46 $2.46

-23.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.46 $1.46

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.03 $2.03

-37.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$9.29 $9.29

-43.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$18.77 $18.77

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.64 $2.64

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$4.57 $4.57

-7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$2.22 $2.22

-84.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$3.25 $3.25

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.59 $1.59

-67.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$32.55 $32.55

-83.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.94 $0.94

61.70%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

-17.97%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-5.75%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$179 $179

-65.94%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$55.4 $55.4

-48.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$63.1 $63.1

-45.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$39.39 $39.39

43.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$9.84 $9.84

-32.32%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,092 $1,092

-60.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$23.4K $23.4K

-50.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$60.8 $60.8

11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$50.6 $50.6

2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$113 $113

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$111 $111

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,584 $1,584

-35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,292 $1,292

-49.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$2,760 $2,760

-16.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$2,067 $2,067

-39.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,524 $2,524

43.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,551 $2,551

-24.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.77

66.91%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, AR: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Melbourne, AR

$1.3K 54% 97.5% $638

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Melbourne, AR

$365 15.3% 14.9% $47

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Melbourne, AR

$208 8.7% 2% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Melbourne, AR

$151 6.3% 0.7% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Melbourne, AR

$298 12.4% 140% $174

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Melbourne, AR

$59 2.5% 15.2% $11

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Melbourne, AR

$20 * 0.8% 21.5% $5.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,584 in Melbourne, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $79.0 in Melbourne, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $365 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Melbourne, AR

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

76,068

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Melbourne, AR 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Melbourne, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $3,591 in Melbourne, AR 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,584 in Melbourne, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $1,092 in Melbourne, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $79.0 in Melbourne, AR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,394 in Melbourne, AR, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Melbourne, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,548 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Melbourne, AR 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 55% less than in Melbourne, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.