Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $724 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$724

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Contagem and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Contagem and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $724 per month in Contagem vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Contagem $724
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $1,164 per month in Contagem vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Contagem $1,164
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $1,605 per month in Contagem vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Contagem $1,605
Mexico City $3,537

Contagem is about 57% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Contagem sits 46% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 R$30.39

$10.59 MX$199

-47.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.69 R$152

$52.0 MX$978

-46.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 R$36.51

$10.73 MX$202

-38.02%

Cappuccino

$1.63 R$8.94

$3.80 MX$71.4

-57.11%

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

$1.28 R$7.00

$1.61 MX$30.35

-20.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.16

$1.21 MX$22.81

-52.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 R$6.68

$3.18 MX$59.8

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 R$12.51

$5.44 MX$102

-58.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.80

$1.72 MX$32.32

-48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.85

$2.97 MX$55.8

-45.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$7.02

$1.93 MX$36.24

-33.68%

Eggs

$1.87 R$10.28

$2.77 MX$52.2

-32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R$49.16

$11.67 MX$220

-23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 R$17.25

$9.48 MX$178

-66.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 R$39.36

$15.37 MX$289

-53.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.98

$3.10 MX$58.4

-41.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.29

$1.96 MX$36.90

-41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.92

$1.98 MX$37.30

-54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$8.30

$2.34 MX$43.95

-35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.71

$2.02 MX$38.08

-48.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.42

$1.82 MX$34.34

-45.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.07

$1.54 MX$29.06

-51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.93

$1.31 MX$24.70

-45.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.48 R$8.13

$5.35 MX$101

-72.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 R$30.05

$16.19 MX$305

-66.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.94

$1.96 MX$36.87

-54.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.27

$4.35 MX$81.9

-69.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 R$7.59

$0.30 MX$5.74

360.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 R$399

$19.49 MX$367

273.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 R$5.70

$1.92 MX$36.08

-45.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R$4.48

$0.47 MX$8.90

74.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 R$31.92

$5.41 MX$102

7.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R$6.37

$1.48 MX$27.92

-21.62%

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

$21.8K R$119.7K

$21.4K MX$402.2K

2.02%

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

$29.5K R$162.2K

$23.8K MX$447.1K

24.38%

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

$70.5 R$387

$62.0 MX$1,167

13.76%

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

$9.22 R$50.6

$28.47 MX$536

-67.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 R$95.1

$34.11 MX$642

-49.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.57 R$135

$58.4 MX$1,099

-57.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.42 R$123

$24.50 MX$461

-8.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 R$37.31

$6.59 MX$124

3.19%

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

$136 R$744

$434 MX$8,172

-68.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,460 R$13.5K

$14.0K MX$264.1K

-82.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R$304

$68.4 MX$1,286

-18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 R$246

$54.8 MX$1,031

-18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 R$343

$111 MX$2,086

-43.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.16 R$242

$116 MX$2,183

-61.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 R$1,139

$1,179 MX$22.2K

-82.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 R$804

$771 MX$14.5K

-80.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,375

$2,570 MX$48.4K

-83.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 R$1,673

$1,420 MX$26.7K

-78.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,863 R$10.2K

$3,586 MX$67.5K

-48.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$922 R$5,059

$2,064 MX$38.8K

-55.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$237 R$1,300

$1,003 MX$18.9K

-76.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.35

-5.99%

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

Last update for Contagem: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$163 22.6%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 97.9% $160

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$147 20.3%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 426% $624

Eating Out

Contagem

$102 14.1%

Mexico City

$201 12% 96.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$97 13.4%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 28.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$93 12.9%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 69.2% $64

Getting Around

Contagem

$83 11.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 70% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$38 5.3%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 87.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Contagem versus $1,179 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 in Mexico City are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Contagem versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $324 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

00:29 12:29 AM

3 h behind Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Contagem Mexico City 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,085 per month in Contagem and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $136 per month in Contagem and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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