Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,136 in Castelo Branco versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Castelo Branco versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,273 in Castelo Branco versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castelo Branco is 15% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.44 €9.84

$13.18 MX$228

-13.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.18 €35.43

$53.9 MX$932

-23.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 €8.22

$9.42 MX$163

1.49%

Cappuccino

$1.38 €1.18

$3.55 MX$61.4

-61.13%

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

$1.70 €1.46

$1.62 MX$27.98

4.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.11 MX$19.27

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 €1.24

$3.12 MX$54.0

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 €3.39

$4.63 MX$80.1

-14.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.70 MX$29.43

-37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.72 MX$47.02

-55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.91 MX$33.07

-13.09%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$2.54 MX$43.86

14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 €7.76

$10.03 MX$174

-10.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 €4.39

$8.09 MX$140

-36.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.25 €7.10

$11.62 MX$201

-29.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.97 MX$51.3

-39.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.81 MX$31.24

-28.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.01 MX$34.82

-38.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.03 MX$35.20

23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.12 MX$36.75

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.27 MX$39.25

-23.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.40 MX$24.22

-7.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$1.13 MX$19.55

-37.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.53

$4.27 MX$73.9

50.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$15.56 MX$269

-77.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.76 MX$30.39

-55.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$3.60 MX$62.2

-70.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.38 MX$6.62

210.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.85 €36.86

$19.18 MX$332

123.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.38 MX$23.79

65.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.28 MX$4.78

153.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.29 €14.87

$5.45 MX$94.2

217.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.30 MX$22.55

46.15%

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

$34.2K €29.4K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

83.05%

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

$39.5K €34.0K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

70.72%

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

$98.0 €84.3

$40.86 MX$707

139.79%

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

$22.17 €19.07

$26.81 MX$464

-17.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.39 €37.33

$29.96 MX$518

44.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 €36.45

$52.0 MX$900

-18.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 €6.16

$6.30 MX$109

13.65%

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

$647 €557

$436 MX$7,544

48.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

55.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 €50.3

$56.7 MX$980

3.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 €58.0

$44.38 MX$768

51.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 €63.2

$103 MX$1,780

-28.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 €50.6

$106 MX$1,825

-44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 €447

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 €328

$631 MX$10.9K

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 €598

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-67.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 €548

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-48.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,661 €1,429

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-57.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 €1,211

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-31.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,658 €1,426

$1,115 MX$19.3K

48.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

11.34

-52.12%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $520 in Castelo Branco and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Castelo Branco vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $288 per month, with Castelo Branco 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

Castelo Branco vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Castelo Branco pays 49% more on average, 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: $520 in Castelo Branco versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,136 per month in Castelo Branco versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 123% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,136 in Castelo Branco versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.