Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbacena and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barbacena and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Barbacena versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,069 in Barbacena versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,457 in Barbacena versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Barbacena costs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barbacena is 49% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 R$17.82

$12.96 MX$223

-72.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.28 R$82.8

$52.3 MX$900

-68.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 R$23.52

$9.69 MX$167

-52.32%

Cappuccino

$0.94 R$4.78

$3.75 MX$64.6

-74.93%

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

$1.33 R$6.76

$1.56 MX$26.91

-14.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.84

$1.16 MX$19.93

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 R$4.64

$3.24 MX$55.8

-71.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R$8.45

$4.90 MX$84.3

-66.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.17

$1.70 MX$29.29

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.68

$2.67 MX$45.90

-43.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.47

$1.89 MX$32.49

-32.80%

Eggs

$1.82 R$9.26

$2.52 MX$43.37

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 R$31.70

$10.02 MX$172

-37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 R$16.38

$8.53 MX$147

-62.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 R$38.70

$11.94 MX$205

-36.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.43

$2.97 MX$51.1

-63.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.50

$1.79 MX$30.88

-17.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.52

$2.00 MX$34.40

-26.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.41

$1.96 MX$33.74

-45.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 R$3.72

$2.16 MX$37.21

-66.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.95

$2.27 MX$39.04

-57.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 R$2.86

$1.40 MX$24.14

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 R$2.62

$1.11 MX$19.18

-53.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 R$8.35

$4.20 MX$72.2

-60.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 R$29.76

$16.54 MX$285

-64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.54

$1.68 MX$28.94

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.36

$3.59 MX$61.8

-26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.45

$0.39 MX$6.65

123.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.22 R$200

$19.19 MX$330

104.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.34

$1.38 MX$23.77

-23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.59

$0.30 MX$5.19

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 R$36.38

$5.39 MX$92.7

32.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.17

$1.29 MX$22.13

-20.93%

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

$13.5K R$68.6K

$18.9K MX$325.1K

-28.65%

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

$10.6K R$53.9K

$23.8K MX$409.5K

-55.47%

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

$76.5 R$389

$39.86 MX$686

91.97%

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

$19.63 R$99.9

$27.83 MX$479

-29.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.76 R$64.9

$29.77 MX$512

-57.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.25 R$113

$52.0 MX$894

-57.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 R$109

$26.22 MX$451

-18.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 R$31.58

$6.27 MX$108

-0.96%

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

$443 R$2,252

$433 MX$7,443

2.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,482 R$33.0K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

-38.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 R$332

$57.0 MX$981

14.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.61 R$181

$45.33 MX$780

-21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 R$487

$102 MX$1,753

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 R$410

$109 MX$1,867

-25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 R$1,036

$994 MX$17.1K

-79.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 R$770

$617 MX$10.6K

-75.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 R$2,001

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-81.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 R$1,427

$1,256 MX$21.6K

-77.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,789 R$9,101

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-54.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,037 R$5,276

$2,089 MX$35.9K

-50.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.34

2.29%

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

Last update for Barbacena: June 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Barbacena and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Barbacena vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $292 per month, with Barbacena 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

Barbacena vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barbacena and Mexico City differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($682 vs $1,448 including rent). Barbacena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,022 in Barbacena and $2,173 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: $204 in Barbacena versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $682 per month in Barbacena versus $1,448 in Mexico City – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barbacena runs roughly 104% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $682 in Barbacena versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barbacena but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Barbacena 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.

Expats usually find Barbacena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.