Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Arthur, TX and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Arthur, TX and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Port Arthur, TX $2,634
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,860 in Port Arthur, TX versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Port Arthur, TX $3,860
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,086 in Port Arthur, TX versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Port Arthur, TX $5,086
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Port Arthur, TX is roughly 64% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Arthur, TX 94% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 $18.63

$10.62 MX$199

75.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$48.35 MX$904

53.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$10.35 MX$193

8.21%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$3.69 MX$69.0

34.42%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.67 MX$31.14

52.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.27 MX$23.65

52.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.19 MX$59.7

92.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$5.31 MX$99.2

30.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.72 MX$32.23

-39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.04 MX$56.8

12.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.94 MX$36.27

122.68%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.89 MX$54.0

39.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$10.97 MX$205

13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$9.25 MX$173

25.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$15.13 MX$283

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.05 MX$57.0

59.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.94 MX$36.27

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.03 MX$37.85

109.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.31 MX$43.25

103.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.04 MX$38.03

42.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.80 MX$33.63

61.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.48 MX$27.64

42.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.27 MX$23.69

71.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.43 $9.43

$5.30 MX$99.1

77.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 $13.75

$16.10 MX$301

-14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 MX$37.06

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.25 MX$79.5

-22.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.31 MX$5.70

551.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 $66.3

$19.73 MX$369

236.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.84 MX$34.34

91.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.53 MX$9.97

201.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 $29.41

$5.30 MX$99.0

454.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.51 MX$28.23

-43.71%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$21.8K MX$406.5K

38.16%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.0K MX$448.2K

8.35%

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

$190 $190

$63.0 MX$1,177

202.45%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$27.39 MX$512

93.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$35.67 MX$666

85.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 $43.60

$58.9 MX$1,101

-26.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$6.40 MX$120

114.53%

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

$1,279 $1,279

$432 MX$8,065

196.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$11.4K MX$213.5K

104.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$68.2 MX$1,275

-26.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 $39.34

$53.1 MX$993

-25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$108 MX$2,014

-19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$117 MX$2,191

-3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$1,113 MX$20.8K

45.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$710 MX$13.3K

89.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$2,588 MX$48.4K

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$1,406 MX$26.3K

59.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,790 $2,790

$3,631 MX$67.8K

-23.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$2,135 MX$39.9K

12.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.35

-42.64%

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

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 51.1%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 47.2% $635

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$387 14.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 17.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 59.3% $184

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$305 11.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 34.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$130 5%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 19.7% $26

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$86 3.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 70.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$71 2.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Port Arthur, TX vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h behind Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Port Arthur, TX Mexico City 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, TX
Mexico City

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

Port Arthur, TX vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Arthur, TX and Mexico City differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,634 vs $1,608 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,951 in Port Arthur, TX and $2,412 in Mexico City 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: $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 70% less than in Port Arthur, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,279 in Port Arthur, TX versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Port Arthur, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.