Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $916 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
Learn more

Brasilia Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Brasilia $916
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Brasilia $1,514
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Brasilia $2,112
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 33% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.15

$10.62 MX$199

-20.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$196

$48.35 MX$904

-24.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.72

$10.35 MX$193

-22.90%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.51

$3.69 MX$69.0

-31.44%

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

$1.42 R$7.60

$1.67 MX$31.14

-14.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.36

$1.27 MX$23.65

-21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.77

$3.19 MX$59.7

-31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.10

$5.31 MX$99.2

-29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.45

$1.72 MX$32.23

-40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.45

$3.04 MX$56.8

-35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.64

$1.94 MX$36.27

-36.08%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.17

$2.89 MX$54.0

-21.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$59.8

$10.97 MX$205

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.68

$9.25 MX$173

-58.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$45.90

$15.13 MX$283

-43.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.34

$3.05 MX$57.0

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.38

$1.94 MX$36.27

-28.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.73

$2.03 MX$37.85

-37.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.14

$2.31 MX$43.25

-34.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.95

$2.04 MX$38.03

-45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.22

$1.80 MX$33.63

-45.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.04

$1.48 MX$27.64

-48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.00

$1.27 MX$23.69

-26.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.65

$5.30 MX$99.1

-55.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.04

$16.10 MX$301

-52.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.64

$1.98 MX$37.06

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.60

$4.25 MX$79.5

-44.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.90

$0.31 MX$5.70

135.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$159

$19.73 MX$369

50.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.43

$1.84 MX$34.34

-45.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.59

$0.53 MX$9.97

62.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$30.89

$5.30 MX$99.0

8.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.68

$1.51 MX$28.23

-17.22%

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

$22.0K R$117.5K

$21.8K MX$406.5K

0.91%

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

$31.9K R$170.4K

$24.0K MX$448.2K

32.79%

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

$92.1 R$493

$63.0 MX$1,177

46.27%

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

$11.85 R$63.4

$27.39 MX$512

-56.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$112

$35.67 MX$666

-41.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$163

$58.9 MX$1,101

-48.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

$23.64 MX$442

11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$39.95

$6.40 MX$120

16.56%

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

$764 R$4,091

$432 MX$8,065

77.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.1K

$11.4K MX$213.5K

37.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$282

$68.2 MX$1,275

-22.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$225

$53.1 MX$993

-20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$425

$108 MX$2,014

-26.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$447

$117 MX$2,191

-28.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,767

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-53.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,292

$710 MX$13.3K

-66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,188

$2,588 MX$48.4K

-55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,102

$1,406 MX$26.3K

-58.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.8K

$3,631 MX$67.8K

-33.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$8,979

$2,135 MX$39.9K

-21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,197

$946 MX$17.7K

-17.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.35

6.78%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 194% $469

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 59.3% $119

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 32.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 0.9% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 34.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 58% $26

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 33% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $320 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

3 h behind Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 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).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Mexico City 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
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

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

Brasilia and Mexico City differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($916 vs $1,608 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Brasilia. 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: $517 in Brasilia versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $37 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $1,608 in Mexico City – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $916 in Brasilia versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 – Brasilia wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.