Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Mexico

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,274 in Mexico, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
Learn more

Mexico Living Index

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🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Mexico

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

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $1,274 in Mexico, rent included.

Brazil $865
Mexico $1,274

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $2,010 in Mexico, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
Mexico $2,010

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $2,746 in Mexico, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
Mexico $2,746

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($730–$2,625) than in Brazil ($569–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 32% lower than in Mexico on average.

Both Brazil and Mexico are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 36% lower, Mexico 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.66

$10.63 MX$200

-38.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$167

$43.29 MX$813

-29.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$40.55

$8.94 MX$168

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.39

$3.61 MX$67.7

-47.09%

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

$1.15 R$6.28

$1.48 MX$27.70

-22.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.11

$1.00 MX$18.77

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$10.06

$2.67 MX$50.0

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.54

$4.37 MX$82.0

-34.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.61

$1.59 MX$29.76

-35.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.52

$2.67 MX$50.2

-41.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.72

$1.68 MX$31.57

-26.19%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.44

$2.52 MX$47.38

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$48.24

$8.79 MX$165

0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.72

$7.97 MX$150

-49.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$42.19

$11.50 MX$216

-32.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.72

$2.76 MX$51.7

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.91

$1.52 MX$28.61

-16.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.28

$1.95 MX$36.70

-40.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.32

$1.97 MX$36.93

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.32

$1.96 MX$36.84

-40.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.55

$2.03 MX$38.08

-49.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.04

$1.43 MX$26.90

-48.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.90

$1.14 MX$21.39

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.26

$4.52 MX$84.9

-50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$41.62

$10.87 MX$204

-29.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$7.09

$1.77 MX$33.14

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.77

$3.19 MX$59.9

-32.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.12

$0.62 MX$11.64

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$239

$29.85 MX$560

47.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.68

$2.66 MX$49.97

-53.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.20

$2.72 MX$51.0

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$40.36

$10.63 MX$200

-30.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.60

$1.40 MX$26.24

-13.57%

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

$22.1K R$120.5K

$24.0K MX$450.0K

-7.61%

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

$31.6K R$171.7K

$23.9K MX$449.0K

31.98%

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

$77.2 R$420

$69.2 MX$1,299

11.56%

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

$12.44 R$67.6

$23.51 MX$441

-47.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$108

$29.00 MX$544

-31.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$133

$34.74 MX$652

-29.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$138

$17.46 MX$328

45.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.99

$5.24 MX$98.5

33.21%

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

$316 R$1,718

$261 MX$4,892

21.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$45.1K

$5,999 MX$112.6K

38.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$269

$55.8 MX$1,048

-11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$249

$41.58 MX$781

9.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$454

$96.3 MX$1,809

-13.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$357

$90.1 MX$1,691

-27.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$2,029

$713 MX$13.4K

-47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,363

$477 MX$8,954

-47.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,911

$1,358 MX$25.5K

-47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,667

$906 MX$17.0K

-45.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,764

$2,597 MX$48.7K

-30.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,904

$1,565 MX$29.4K

-18.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,701

$773 MX$14.5K

-35.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

11.43

-2.27%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$251 29%

Mexico

$477 37.4% 90.4% $226

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

Mexico

$267 21% 45.8% $84

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

Mexico

$187 14.7% 55.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

Mexico

$128 10% 16.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

Mexico

$122 9.6% 11.2% $12

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

Mexico

$49 3.8% 9.7% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

Mexico

$45 3.6% 18% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $624 in Mexico. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $1,113 in Mexico City.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $722 in Mexico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 86% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 48% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 39% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 54% higher in Mexico.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇲🇽 Mexico

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

3 h behind Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

124,777,324

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brazil Mexico 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
Mexico

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

Brazil vs Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 32% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Mexico: a central one-bedroom averages $624 versus $335 in Brazil.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.