Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldas da Rainha and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldas da Rainha and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,461 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $1,456 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,266 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $2,361 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,071 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $3,266 in Mexico City, rent included.

Caldas da Rainha and Mexico City have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Caldas da Rainha and Mexico City sit above the global median – Caldas da Rainha by 9%, Mexico City by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 €15.18

$13.07 MX$229

32.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 €43.13

$53.8 MX$940

-8.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 €9.12

$9.68 MX$169

7.85%

Cappuccino

$1.66 €1.45

$3.74 MX$65.4

-55.61%

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

$2.42 €2.11

$1.62 MX$28.25

49.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.16 MX$20.31

11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.23 MX$56.4

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.81

$4.74 MX$82.9

-32.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.65 MX$28.80

-35.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.75 MX$48.15

-45.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.87 MX$32.77

-17.11%

Eggs

$3.02 €2.64

$2.50 MX$43.72

20.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 €9.41

$10.20 MX$178

5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 €6.55

$8.25 MX$144

-9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 €11.39

$11.82 MX$207

10.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$3.01 MX$52.6

-32.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.81 MX$31.67

-22.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.00 MX$34.96

-12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.00 MX$34.89

25.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.08 MX$36.45

-4.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.27 MX$39.72

-17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.46 MX$25.47

-11.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$1.08 MX$18.82

-24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.93

$4.35 MX$76.0

29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.01 €3.50

$16.99 MX$297

-76.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.73 MX$30.31

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.48

$3.58 MX$62.5

-52.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 €3.30

$0.39 MX$6.77

869.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.31 €30.85

$18.69 MX$327

88.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 €2.51

$1.33 MX$23.18

115.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.28 MX$4.89

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.29 €15.11

$5.25 MX$91.8

229.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.34 MX$23.37

52.24%

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

$41.9K €36.6K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

115.85%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

63.46%

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

$113 €99.1

$40.69 MX$712

178.84%

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

$20.29 €17.73

$26.87 MX$470

-24.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.67 €36.41

$30.51 MX$534

36.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.77

$52.8 MX$923

-2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.41 €24.82

$26.65 MX$466

6.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 €8.07

$6.51 MX$114

41.94%

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

$412 €360

$428 MX$7,485

-3.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 €5,020

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-45.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €85.1

$57.3 MX$1,001

70.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 €37.99

$45.50 MX$796

-4.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €100

$104 MX$1,819

10.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 €63.2

$108 MX$1,885

-32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 €755

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 €492

$623 MX$10.9K

-9.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 €1,119

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-39.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 €832

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-21.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,957 €2,583

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-23.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,287 €1,998

$2,033 MX$35.5K

12.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,159 €1,012

$1,038 MX$18.1K

11.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

11.34

-61.29%

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

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $865 in Caldas da Rainha versus $1,003 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 run about 12% higher in Caldas da Rainha. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Caldas da Rainha versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $292 – making Caldas da Rainha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Caldas da Rainha vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,191 per month in Caldas da Rainha and $2,185 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Caldas da Rainha – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $412 per month in Caldas da Rainha and $428 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,456, than in Caldas da Rainha at $1,461. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caldas da Rainha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caldas da Rainha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.