Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapala and Macaé Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapala and Macaé

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,019 per month in Chapala vs $836 in Macaé, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Chapala vs $1,343 in Macaé, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,997 per month in Chapala vs $1,851 in Macaé, rent included.

Chapala costs about 22% more than Macaé, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Chapala and Macaé are more affordable than the global median – Chapala 24% lower, Macaé 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 MX$143

$5.64 R$28.55

46.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.06 MX$590

$34.48 R$174

-1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 MX$122

$6.42 R$32.49

9.81%

Cappuccino

$3.36 MX$58.3

$1.89 R$9.54

77.78%

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

$2.06 MX$35.65

$1.22 R$6.19

68.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.01

$0.84 R$4.27

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MX$35.63

$1.82 R$9.19

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$55.9

$2.12 R$10.75

52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.48

$1.05 R$5.32

51.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$46.73

$1.64 R$8.30

64.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.77

$1.29 R$6.52

24.03%

Eggs

$2.15 MX$37.19

$2.01 R$10.16

6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$7.75 R$39.19

6.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 MX$129

$3.65 R$18.47

104.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$6.31 R$31.94

21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.41

$2.43 R$12.29

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 MX$16.48

$1.23 R$6.24

-22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 MX$14.48

$1.15 R$5.83

-26.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.31

$1.38 R$7.00

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.45

$1.11 R$5.60

27.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MX$17.55

$1.11 R$5.63

-9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MX$16.46

$0.68 R$3.45

39.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.47

$0.46 R$2.33

80.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$68.8

$1.99 R$10.08

99.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 MX$163

$6.03 R$30.53

55.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.49

$0.86 R$4.34

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.69

$1.15 R$5.83

44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.48

$0.69 R$3.51

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$378

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MX$18.05

$1.11 R$5.63

-6.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$0.69 R$3.51

110.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 MX$55.8

$7.77 R$39.31

-58.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.15

$1.07 R$5.39

19.63%

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

$18.3K MX$316.9K

$18.4K R$92.9K

-0.40%

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

$18.3K MX$317.3K

$27.6K R$139.7K

-33.68%

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

$48.93 MX$848

$59.7 R$302

-18.03%

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

$17.02 MX$295

$9.69 R$49.01

75.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 MX$448

$18.73 R$94.8

37.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.40 MX$440

$38.82 R$196

-34.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 MX$272

$27.30 R$138

-42.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MX$74.3

$6.26 R$31.67

-31.47%

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

$181 MX$3,133

$535 R$2,707

-66.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,597 MX$45.0K

$6,559 R$33.2K

-60.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.10 MX$747

$45.28 R$229

-4.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.98 MX$277

$29.29 R$148

-45.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 MX$1,154

$72.2 R$365

-7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 MX$955

$60.8 R$308

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 MX$8,085

$353 R$1,787

32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 MX$7,261

$230 R$1,162

82.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 MX$14.0K

$660 R$3,340

21.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$502 R$2,539

25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$745 MX$12.9K

$1,243 R$6,288

-40.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$737 MX$12.8K

$784 R$3,968

-6.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$780 R$3,944

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

11.25

-0.09%

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

Last update for Chapala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Macaé: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Chapala versus $353 in Macaé. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Chapala versus $34.00 in Macaé. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Chapala vs $164 in Macaé – so Macaé wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chapala vs Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapala costs about 22% more than Macaé, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Chapala and $1,254 in Macaé. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Chapala and $34.00 in Macaé. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chapala, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,019 in Chapala and $836 in Macaé, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Macaé costs $836 versus $1,019 in Chapala. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Macaé. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chapala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.