Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belem and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $877 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$877

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Belem versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Belem $877
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,329 in Belem versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Belem $1,329
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Belem versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Belem $1,781
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Belem costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belem is 36% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 R$25.08

$10.62 MX$200

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 R$98.2

$48.35 MX$909

-62.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 R$35.22

$10.35 MX$194

-36.81%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$9.28

$3.69 MX$69.4

-53.39%

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

$0.99 R$5.34

$1.67 MX$31.32

-40.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 R$2.35

$1.27 MX$23.78

-65.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 R$8.10

$3.19 MX$60.0

-52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R$11.70

$5.31 MX$99.7

-59.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.92

$1.72 MX$32.41

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 R$12.54

$3.04 MX$57.1

-23.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.70

$1.94 MX$36.48

-35.57%

Eggs

$1.98 R$10.67

$2.89 MX$54.3

-31.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 R$45.44

$10.97 MX$206

-23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.16

$9.25 MX$174

-55.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R$39.00

$15.13 MX$284

-52.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 R$12.05

$3.05 MX$57.3

-26.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.12

$1.94 MX$36.48

-31.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.48

$2.03 MX$38.06

-31.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.37

$2.31 MX$43.50

-32.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.21

$2.04 MX$38.25

-52.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 R$2.89

$1.80 MX$33.83

-70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R$6.80

$1.48 MX$27.80

-14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$7.36

$1.27 MX$23.82

7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$13.19

$5.30 MX$99.7

-53.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 R$50.2

$16.10 MX$303

-42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$7.18

$1.98 MX$37.27

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 R$24.35

$4.25 MX$79.9

6.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.85

$0.31 MX$5.73

190.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.93 R$172

$19.73 MX$371

61.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.93

$1.84 MX$34.53

-40.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R$5.90

$0.53 MX$10.03

107.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 R$42.64

$5.30 MX$99.5

49.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.21

$1.51 MX$28.39

-23.84%

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

$21.8K R$117.5K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

0.34%

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

$30.0K R$161.6K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

25.17%

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

$93.5 R$503

$63.0 MX$1,184

48.48%

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

$10.82 R$58.3

$27.39 MX$515

-60.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 R$160

$35.67 MX$670

-16.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.33 R$109

$58.9 MX$1,108

-65.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 R$199

$23.64 MX$444

56.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.15

$6.40 MX$120

16.56%

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

$104 R$561

$432 MX$8,111

-75.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,250 R$17.5K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-71.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.81 R$166

$68.2 MX$1,282

-54.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.86 R$225

$53.1 MX$999

-21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$407

$108 MX$2,026

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 R$330

$117 MX$2,204

-47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 R$2,709

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-54.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 R$1,436

$710 MX$13.4K

-62.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 R$4,506

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-67.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 R$2,611

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-65.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 R$10.0K

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-48.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,302 R$7,005

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-39.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$386 R$2,079

$946 MX$17.8K

-59.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.35

1.15%

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

Last update for Belem: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belem

$267 30.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 166% $444

Groceries & Markets

Belem

$209 23.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 52.9% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belem

$134 15.3%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 6% $8.1

Eating Out

Belem

$95 10.9%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 109% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Belem

$94 10.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 65.2% $62

Getting Around

Belem

$42 4.8%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 39.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Belem

$35 4%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 104% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Belem and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Belem vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $320 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belem

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

3 h behind Belem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,303,403

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Belem Mexico City 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Belem
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

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

Belem is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Belem. 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: $503 in Belem 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 38% less than in Belem. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $104 in Belem versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $877 in Belem versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Belem 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.

It comes down to priorities – Belem wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.