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: $1,010 in Phoenix versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,548 in Phoenix versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,086 in Phoenix versus $3,245 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

$6.55 MUR 307

$13.14 MX$227

-50.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.63 MUR 2,043

$53.5 MX$926

-18.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 MUR 316

$9.33 MX$161

-27.76%

Cappuccino

$2.55 MUR 119

$3.70 MX$64.0

-31.08%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.22

$1.60 MX$27.76

-36.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.82

$1.12 MX$19.34

-47.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MUR 102

$3.14 MX$54.3

-30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MUR 131

$4.85 MX$83.9

-42.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MUR 70.1

$1.65 MX$28.61

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.16

$2.71 MX$46.96

-73.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 61.7

$1.91 MX$33.03

-30.89%

Eggs

$2.24 MUR 105

$2.59 MX$44.81

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MUR 464

$9.81 MX$170

1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MUR 288

$8.43 MX$146

-26.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MUR 489

$11.93 MX$206

-12.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 92.8

$2.95 MX$51.1

-32.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 MUR 88.8

$1.74 MX$30.10

9.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 MUR 68.3

$2.04 MX$35.38

-28.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 MUR 124

$2.06 MX$35.64

28.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 45.73

$2.15 MX$37.20

-54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 47.69

$2.26 MX$39.02

-54.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.11

$1.39 MX$23.97

-39.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MUR 24.63

$1.12 MX$19.31

-52.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 MUR 281

$4.22 MX$73.0

42.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.42 MUR 394

$17.51 MX$303

-51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MUR 80.6

$1.71 MX$29.58

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 MUR 99.8

$3.63 MX$62.8

-41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.68

$0.35 MX$6.10

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MUR 201

$1.38 MX$23.80

210.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MUR 124

$0.28 MX$4.77

846.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.35 MUR 719

$5.28 MX$91.3

190.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MUR 73.8

$1.36 MX$23.50

16.18%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$19.1K MX$330.5K

87.01%

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

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

$23.6K MX$408.4K

20.17%

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

$49.40 MUR 2,314

$40.53 MX$701

21.89%

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

$18.62 MUR 872

$27.38 MX$474

-31.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 MUR 1,493

$30.38 MX$526

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.26 MUR 1,792

$52.2 MX$903

-26.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 MUR 282

$6.19 MX$107

-2.75%

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

$154 MUR 7,216

$425 MX$7,355

-63.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,963 MUR 185.6K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-63.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.0 MUR 2,343

$58.3 MX$1,009

-14.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 MUR 2,032

$44.57 MX$771

-2.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MUR 3,825

$103 MX$1,791

-21.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 MUR 3,660

$109 MX$1,881

-28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 MUR 26.3K

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-44.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 MUR 18.1K

$623 MX$10.8K

-37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 MUR 40.7K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 MUR 28.3K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-50.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$932 MUR 43.7K

$1,052 MX$18.2K

-11.42%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $561 in Phoenix and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% 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: $44.00 in Phoenix vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $293 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,010 vs $1,472 including rent). Phoenix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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: $561 in Phoenix versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Phoenix versus $425 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 $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,010 in Phoenix versus $1,472 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 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.