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: $1,011 in Phoenix versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,549 in Phoenix versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,086 in Phoenix versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Phoenix costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phoenix is 25% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 MUR 318

$12.98 MX$223

-48.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.39 MUR 2,043

$52.6 MX$903

-17.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 MUR 306

$9.43 MX$162

-31.07%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MUR 121

$3.57 MX$61.3

-28.01%

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

$0.98 MUR 45.97

$1.61 MX$27.55

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 28.43

$1.15 MX$19.81

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MUR 98.1

$3.15 MX$54.0

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MUR 125

$4.86 MX$83.4

-45.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.9

$1.70 MX$29.17

-14.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.25

$2.64 MX$45.23

-73.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.6

$1.90 MX$32.67

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.54 MX$43.62

-10.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 MUR 465

$10.08 MX$173

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 MUR 284

$8.29 MX$142

-27.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 MUR 490

$11.57 MX$199

-10.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 MUR 95.7

$3.03 MX$52.0

-33.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.3

$1.71 MX$29.35

16.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.4

$2.05 MX$35.16

-29.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 MUR 126

$2.06 MX$35.36

29.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.20

$2.06 MX$35.43

-50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.00

$2.17 MX$37.25

-53.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.55

$1.40 MX$24.08

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.53

$1.12 MX$19.26

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 MUR 289

$4.29 MX$73.7

43.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 MUR 389

$15.41 MX$265

-46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MUR 84.1

$1.67 MX$28.74

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 MUR 99.2

$3.69 MX$63.3

-42.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 49.09

$0.38 MX$6.55

173.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 MUR 211

$1.38 MX$23.70

224.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MUR 128

$0.28 MX$4.74

871.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.48 MUR 729

$5.42 MX$92.9

185.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MUR 72.7

$1.28 MX$21.98

20.31%

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

$35.9K MUR 1.7M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

88.99%

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

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

24.41%

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

$50.0 MUR 2,356

$41.02 MX$704

21.96%

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

$18.57 MUR 875

$26.92 MX$462

-31.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.02 MUR 1,555

$29.69 MX$510

11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.92 MUR 1,833

$52.3 MX$898

-25.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MUR 292

$6.18 MX$106

0.16%

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

$155 MUR 7,306

$427 MX$7,331

-63.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,965 MUR 186.7K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-62.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 MUR 2,361

$56.8 MX$975

-11.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.39 MUR 2,043

$44.83 MX$769

-3.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MUR 3,858

$105 MX$1,794

-21.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 MUR 3,785

$106 MX$1,819

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 MUR 26.0K

$995 MX$17.1K

-44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 MUR 18.2K

$621 MX$10.7K

-37.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 MUR 41.4K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-58.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MUR 29.0K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-50.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$952 MUR 44.8K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-14.00%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Phoenix and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 16% 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: $43.00 in Phoenix vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $288 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,011 vs $1,447 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 16% 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: $552 in Phoenix versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Phoenix versus $427 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 $43.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Phoenix versus $1,447 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.