Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alfenas and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Alfenas: $731 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alfenas, Brazil
Mexico City, Mexico
Alfenas
🇧🇷 Brazil
$731
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alfenas 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 Alfenas and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $731 per month in Alfenas vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Alfenas $731
  • Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $1,297 per month in Alfenas vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Alfenas $1,297
  • Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Alfenas vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Alfenas $1,862
  • Mexico City $3,537

Alfenas is about 56% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alfenas sits 46% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.59 R$19.71
$10.59 MX$199
-66.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.35 R$150
$52.0 MX$978
-47.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.43 R$29.79
$10.73 MX$202
-49.39%
Cappuccino
$0.89 R$4.86
$3.80 MX$71.4
-76.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 R$3.14
$1.61 MX$30.35
-64.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 R$2.94
$1.21 MX$22.81
-55.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 R$11.89
$3.18 MX$59.8
-31.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 R$14.99
$5.44 MX$102
-49.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 R$6.32
$1.72 MX$32.32
-33.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.66 R$9.11
$2.97 MX$55.8
-44.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 R$7.67
$1.93 MX$36.24
-27.46%
Eggs
$2.53 R$13.88
$2.77 MX$52.2
-8.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.22 R$61.6
$11.67 MX$220
-3.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.97 R$27.30
$9.48 MX$178
-47.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.00 R$54.9
$15.37 MX$289
-34.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.49 R$13.66
$3.10 MX$58.4
-19.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 R$8.89
$1.96 MX$36.90
-17.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 R$7.55
$1.98 MX$37.30
-30.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 R$9.57
$2.34 MX$43.95
-25.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.31 R$7.18
$2.02 MX$38.08
-35.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 R$6.53
$1.82 MX$34.34
-34.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 R$6.30
$1.54 MX$29.06
-25.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 R$5.05
$1.31 MX$24.70
-29.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.82 R$9.99
$5.35 MX$101
-65.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.29 R$51.0
$16.19 MX$305
-42.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 R$9.16
$1.96 MX$36.87
-14.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 R$12.95
$4.35 MX$81.9
-45.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 R$6.03
$0.30 MX$5.74
266.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.17 R$259
$19.49 MX$367
142.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.26 R$6.91
$1.92 MX$36.08
-34.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 R$5.17
$0.47 MX$8.90
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.02 R$55.0
$5.41 MX$102
85.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 R$6.83
$1.48 MX$27.92
-16.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K R$118.8K
$21.4K MX$402.2K
1.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K R$150.7K
$23.8K MX$447.1K
15.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.7 R$305
$62.0 MX$1,167
-10.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.69 R$86.1
$28.47 MX$536
-44.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 R$102
$34.11 MX$642
-45.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.24 R$139
$58.4 MX$1,099
-56.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.35 R$123
$24.50 MX$461
-8.78%
Cinema Ticket
$6.58 R$36.11
$6.59 MX$124
-0.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$572 R$3,141
$434 MX$8,172
31.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,674 R$36.6K
$14.0K MX$264.1K
-52.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.7 R$322
$68.4 MX$1,286
-14.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 R$308
$54.8 MX$1,031
2.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 R$511
$111 MX$2,086
-15.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 R$476
$116 MX$2,183
-25.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$337 R$1,851
$1,179 MX$22.2K
-71.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$114 R$626
$771 MX$14.5K
-85.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$654 R$3,591
$2,570 MX$48.4K
-74.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 R$2,475
$1,420 MX$26.7K
-68.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,784 R$9,793
$3,586 MX$67.5K
-50.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,165 R$6,392
$2,064 MX$38.8K
-43.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alfenas
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$458 R$2,511
$1,003 MX$18.9K
-54.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
11.35
1.32%

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

Last update for Alfenas: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Alfenas
$222
Mexico City
$324 45.5% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Alfenas
$133
Mexico City
$158 18.8% $25
Accommodation & Living
Alfenas
$114
Mexico City
$771 576% $657
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alfenas
$90
Mexico City
$125 38.5% $35
Eating Out
Alfenas
$76
Mexico City
$201 163% $124
Getting Around
Alfenas
$58
Mexico City
$25 56.6% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Alfenas
$38
Mexico City
$72 86.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Alfenas versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 2.2 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Alfenas versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $324 – making Alfenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Alfenas
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
21:17 9:17 PM
18:17 6:17 PM
3 h behind Alfenas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
78,970
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alfenas Mexico City 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Alfenas
  • 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
Alfenas vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Alfenas and in Mexico City compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $731 in Alfenas, $1,674 in Mexico City – Alfenas comes out roughly 56% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Alfenas compared to Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,097 per month in Alfenas and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Alfenas and Mexico City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alfenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 46% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Alfenas and $52 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Alfenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Alfenas and Mexico City?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $731 in Alfenas to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Alfenas and Mexico City?
If budget matters most, go with Alfenas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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