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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,240 in Cascais versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Cascais versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,714 in Cascais versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Cascais is roughly 54% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cascais 68% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.12

$13.07 MX$228

5.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.27 €40.52

$53.8 MX$936

-13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 €8.00

$9.68 MX$169

-5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.55

$3.74 MX$65.1

-22.19%

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

$2.16 €1.89

$1.62 MX$28.13

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.16 MX$20.23

35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.97

$3.23 MX$56.2

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.03

$4.74 MX$82.5

-27.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.65 MX$28.68

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.75 MX$47.95

-33.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.87 MX$32.63

-1.07%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.76

$2.50 MX$43.54

26.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 €9.83

$10.20 MX$178

10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 €6.82

$8.25 MX$144

-5.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 €12.69

$11.82 MX$206

22.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$3.01 MX$52.4

-17.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.81 MX$31.54

-9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.00 MX$34.81

1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.51

$2.00 MX$34.74

43.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$2.08 MX$36.30

-26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.74

$2.27 MX$39.56

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.45

$1.46 MX$25.36

13.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.08 MX$18.74

-12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 €5.25

$4.35 MX$75.7

37.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.97

$16.99 MX$296

-53.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.10

$1.73 MX$30.18

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.35

$3.58 MX$62.3

-25.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 €2.45

$0.39 MX$6.74

615.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 €40.40

$18.69 MX$325

146.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.75

$1.33 MX$23.08

221.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.28 MX$4.87

210.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 €12.66

$5.25 MX$91.5

175.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.34 MX$23.27

43.28%

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

$34.2K €29.9K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

76.16%

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

$39.6K €34.7K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

66.06%

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

$148 €130

$40.69 MX$709

263.73%

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

$21.68 €18.99

$26.87 MX$468

-19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 €36.51

$30.51 MX$531

36.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €60.2

$52.8 MX$919

30.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 €10.07

$26.65 MX$464

-56.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.42

$6.51 MX$113

30.11%

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

$608 €532

$428 MX$7,454

41.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.9K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

51.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 €76.1

$57.3 MX$997

51.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 €33.59

$45.50 MX$792

-15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €82.4

$104 MX$1,812

-9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 €79.6

$108 MX$1,878

-15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 €1,485

$1,003 MX$17.5K

69.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 €1,105

$623 MX$10.8K

102.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,736 €3,272

$2,109 MX$36.7K

77.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 €2,353

$1,218 MX$21.2K

120.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,056

$3,885 MX$67.6K

78.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,882 €4,276

$2,033 MX$35.4K

140.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 €2,022

$1,038 MX$18.1K

122.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.34

-66.40%

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

Last update for Cascais: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,696 in Cascais and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 122% 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: $46.00 in Cascais vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $292 per month, with Cascais 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Cascais, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,696 in Cascais versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cascais pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $46.00 in Cascais. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,240 in Cascais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cascais, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cascais and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.