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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,021 in Phoenix versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,545 in Phoenix versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,069 in Phoenix versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Phoenix costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phoenix is 24% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 MUR 310

$12.98 MX$227

-48.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.74 MUR 2,094

$53.1 MX$929

-15.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 MUR 307

$9.72 MX$170

-32.51%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MUR 125

$3.75 MX$65.6

-28.80%

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

$1.02 MUR 47.66

$1.57 MX$27.46

-35.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 27.86

$1.13 MX$19.76

-46.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MUR 99.6

$3.18 MX$55.7

-33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MUR 131

$4.66 MX$81.6

-39.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MUR 67.9

$1.62 MX$28.37

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.61

$2.71 MX$47.36

-76.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 59.7

$1.88 MX$32.89

-31.91%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.51 MX$43.90

-7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 MUR 468

$10.08 MX$176

-0.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MUR 290

$8.29 MX$145

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MUR 491

$11.94 MX$209

-12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MUR 96.5

$2.86 MX$50.1

-27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 92.7

$1.75 MX$30.62

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MUR 66.9

$2.08 MX$36.48

-31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 123

$1.97 MX$34.46

34.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.02

$2.16 MX$37.79

-54.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.03

$2.18 MX$38.16

-55.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 36.93

$1.39 MX$24.34

-43.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 24.85

$1.12 MX$19.69

-52.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 MUR 280

$4.20 MX$73.5

42.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 MUR 406

$14.25 MX$249

-39.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 79.9

$1.76 MX$30.85

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MUR 98.0

$3.68 MX$64.5

-43.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.43

$0.39 MX$6.74

153.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MUR 204

$1.39 MX$24.26

212.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 MUR 128

$0.30 MX$5.32

813.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.58 MUR 729

$5.42 MX$94.9

187.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MUR 71.2

$1.35 MX$23.63

12.59%

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

$35.6K MUR 1.7M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

88.55%

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

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

26.80%

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

$49.77 MUR 2,329

$40.82 MX$714

21.93%

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

$18.07 MUR 846

$27.50 MX$481

-34.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.07 MUR 1,500

$30.38 MX$532

5.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.91 MUR 1,820

$53.4 MX$935

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 MUR 279

$6.27 MX$110

-4.94%

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

$156 MUR 7,292

$436 MX$7,632

-64.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,955 MUR 185.0K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-62.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.82 MUR 2,331

$56.8 MX$993

-12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 MUR 2,032

$44.79 MX$784

-3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MUR 3,837

$103 MX$1,799

-20.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 MUR 3,615

$108 MX$1,888

-28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 MUR 25.7K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-45.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 MUR 17.9K

$620 MX$10.9K

-38.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 MUR 40.5K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-59.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 MUR 27.9K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-51.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$683 MUR 32.0K

$1,067 MX$18.7K

-36.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.34

-44.89%

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

Last update for Phoenix: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $548 in Phoenix and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 56% 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: $45.00 in Phoenix vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $286 per month, with Phoenix 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

Phoenix vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phoenix and Mexico City differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,021 vs $1,484 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 56% less. 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: $548 in Phoenix versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Phoenix versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phoenix – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,021 in Phoenix versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phoenix but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Phoenix 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, Phoenix and Mexico City 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 Phoenix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.