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: $1,155 in Castelo Branco versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,754 in Castelo Branco versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,354 in Castelo Branco versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castelo Branco is 16% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.46 €9.85

$12.11 MX$205

-5.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.39 €34.73

$52.2 MX$883

-22.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 €8.47

$10.90 MX$184

-9.54%

Cappuccino

$1.34 €1.15

$4.05 MX$68.5

-66.91%

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

$1.41 €1.22

$1.72 MX$29.00

-18.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.38 MX$23.29

-7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 €0.97

$3.47 MX$58.6

-67.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$5.81 MX$98.2

-59.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.85 MX$31.33

-34.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$3.22 MX$54.5

-58.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.09 MX$35.25

-28.23%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.49

$2.91 MX$49.18

39.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 €8.18

$12.49 MX$211

-23.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 €5.20

$10.11 MX$171

-40.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 €7.74

$15.89 MX$269

-43.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$3.31 MX$56.0

-33.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.13 MX$35.95

-37.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.19 MX$37.03

-15.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.45 MX$41.37

-1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$2.19 MX$37.00

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.90 MX$32.20

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.62 MX$27.31

-24.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$1.35 MX$22.82

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.23

$5.43 MX$91.7

11.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$17.59 MX$297

-80.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.07 MX$34.96

-41.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$4.75 MX$80.2

-57.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 €1.13

$0.34 MX$5.75

288.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.05 €19.81

$21.58 MX$365

6.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.04 MX$34.49

17.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.58 MX$9.77

43.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.52 €15.06

$5.97 MX$101

193.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.62 MX$27.31

35.19%

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

$34.8K €30.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

52.74%

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

$42.4K €36.4K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

59.02%

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

$125 €107

$65.2 MX$1,103

91.11%

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

$19.42 €16.70

$29.87 MX$505

-34.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.33 €29.51

$36.55 MX$618

-6.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.88 €34.28

$61.0 MX$1,031

-34.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 €6.17

$6.85 MX$116

4.67%

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

$705 €606

$453 MX$7,664

55.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K €15.3K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

32.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 €69.8

$75.0 MX$1,267

8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$55.3 MX$935

-15.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 €73.2

$114 MX$1,920

-25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 €59.5

$123 MX$2,073

-43.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 €410

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-57.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 €330

$712 MX$12.0K

-46.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €729

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €557

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-50.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,643 €1,412

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-58.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,410 €1,213

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-32.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 €1,457

$1,047 MX$17.7K

61.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Castelo Branco and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 62% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Castelo Branco vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $345 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $477 in Castelo Branco versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,155 per month in Castelo Branco versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,155 in Castelo Branco versus $1,646 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.