Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajijic and Sao Paulo

For one person, living costs are similar in Ajijic and in Sao Paulo: $1,267 and $1,235 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,267

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajijic and in Sao Paulo

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

A single person spends $1,267 per month in Ajijic vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ajijic $1,267
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $2,020 per month in Ajijic vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ajijic $2,020
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $2,773 per month in Ajijic vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ajijic $2,773
Sao Paulo $2,911

Ajijic costs about 3% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ajijic and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Ajijic 6% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 MX$181

$8.81 R$44.68

11.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.69 MX$807

$49.37 R$250

-11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 MX$133

$8.80 R$44.63

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$3.47 MX$64.1

$2.49 R$12.63

39.36%

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

$1.60 MX$29.62

$1.42 R$7.19

12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$22.92

$0.85 R$4.31

45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$41.31

$2.98 R$15.11

-24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$61.4

$4.34 R$22.02

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.52

$1.24 R$6.28

20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 MX$41.31

$1.91 R$9.66

17.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 MX$19.78

$1.43 R$7.25

-25.17%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$40.54

$2.81 R$14.23

-22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MX$145

$12.74 R$64.6

-38.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 MX$158

$5.41 R$27.44

58.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MX$133

$10.64 R$54.0

-32.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 MX$42.42

$2.75 R$13.95

-16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 MX$24.42

$1.81 R$9.19

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.42

$1.63 R$8.27

-9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.66

$2.00 R$10.16

-14.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$29.60

$1.40 R$7.10

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.57

$1.27 R$6.43

8.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$19.03

$1.28 R$6.47

-19.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.55

$0.95 R$4.83

-11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MX$82.7

$2.99 R$15.15

49.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 MX$165

$9.96 R$50.5

-10.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.60

$1.85 R$9.37

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.61

$2.54 R$12.90

-45.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MX$11.84

$1.09 R$5.50

-41.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MX$23.18

$1.85 R$9.39

-32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.40 MX$81.3

$0.99 R$4.99

344.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.00 MX$203

$10.29 R$52.2

6.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.50

$1.34 R$6.78

11.19%

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

$20.9K MX$386.5K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-14.32%

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

$24.2K MX$447.2K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-28.70%

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

$55.9 MX$1,033

$104 R$529

-46.48%

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

$14.30 MX$264

$16.71 R$84.7

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.07 MX$445

$22.18 R$112

8.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 MX$448

$35.82 R$182

-32.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.42 MX$100

$47.28 R$240

-88.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 MX$88.3

$10.06 R$51.0

-52.49%

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

$212 MX$3,922

$579 R$2,936

-63.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,953 MX$54.6K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-82.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.03 MX$814

$65.7 R$333

-32.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.71 MX$309

$61.0 R$309

-72.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 MX$1,270

$100 R$509

-31.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MX$1,286

$92.1 R$467

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 MX$15.5K

$659 R$3,341

27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$11.6K

$428 R$2,170

47.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 MX$27.8K

$1,515 R$7,678

-0.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 MX$23.4K

$1,026 R$5,201

23.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,332 MX$61.6K

$2,773 R$14.1K

20.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,734 MX$32.0K

$2,007 R$10.2K

-13.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MX$10.4K

$909 R$4,609

-38.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

11.68

-4.11%

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

Last update for Ajijic: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ajijic

$630 49.7%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 32% $202

Groceries & Markets

Ajijic

$222 17.6%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 9.9% $22

Eating Out

Ajijic

$171 13.5%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 6.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajijic

$94 7.4%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 52% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ajijic

$90 7.1%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 60.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Ajijic

$34 2.7%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 65.5% $22

Getting Around

Ajijic

$26 * 2%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 132% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $841 in Ajijic versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Sao Paulo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Ajijic versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $244 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

3 h ahead of Ajijic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,439

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ajijic Sao Paulo 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ajijic
Sao Paulo

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

Ajijic vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,900 per month in Ajijic and $1,852 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Paulo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,267 in Ajijic and $1,235 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 3%.

Kindergarten costs $212 per month in Ajijic and $579 in Sao Paulo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Ajijic at $1,267. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajijic it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajijic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.