Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuiaba: $1,018 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Cuiaba
Learn more

Cuiaba Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cuiaba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,018

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,018 in Cuiaba versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Cuiaba $1,018
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,540 in Cuiaba versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Cuiaba $1,540
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,062 in Cuiaba versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Cuiaba $2,062
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Cuiaba costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuiaba is 25% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 R$27.77

$10.62 MX$200

-51.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.37 R$147

$48.35 MX$909

-43.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$40.48

$10.35 MX$194

-27.34%

Cappuccino

$1.71 R$9.21

$3.69 MX$69.4

-53.66%

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

$1.36 R$7.32

$1.67 MX$31.32

-18.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.85

$1.27 MX$23.78

-43.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 R$10.25

$3.19 MX$60.0

-40.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$13.65

$5.31 MX$99.7

-52.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R$6.12

$1.72 MX$32.41

-33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$8.03

$3.04 MX$57.1

-50.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.08

$1.94 MX$36.48

-12.89%

Eggs

$2.95 R$15.87

$2.89 MX$54.3

2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 R$87.0

$10.97 MX$206

47.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 R$22.83

$9.25 MX$174

-54.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 R$55.1

$15.13 MX$284

-32.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 R$11.88

$3.05 MX$57.3

-27.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 R$12.55

$1.94 MX$36.48

20.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.89

$2.03 MX$38.06

18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 R$15.38

$2.31 MX$43.50

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 R$12.79

$2.04 MX$38.25

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 R$10.61

$1.80 MX$33.83

9.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 R$8.25

$1.48 MX$27.80

3.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.48

$1.27 MX$23.82

9.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$11.67

$5.30 MX$99.7

-59.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 R$58.7

$16.10 MX$303

-32.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 R$9.83

$1.98 MX$37.27

-7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 R$15.52

$4.25 MX$79.9

-32.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$5.12

$0.31 MX$5.73

206.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.73 R$192

$19.73 MX$371

81.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.47

$1.51 MX$28.39

-20.53%

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

$28.1K R$151.0K

$21.8K MX$408.8K

28.95%

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

$31.3K R$168.3K

$24.0K MX$450.8K

30.36%

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

$165 R$886

$63.0 MX$1,184

161.31%

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

$17.94 R$96.5

$27.39 MX$515

-34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 R$130

$35.67 MX$670

-32.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.40 R$131

$58.9 MX$1,108

-58.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 R$102

$23.64 MX$444

-19.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 R$30.43

$6.40 MX$120

-11.56%

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

$408 R$2,194

$432 MX$8,111

-5.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,796 R$47.3K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-23.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 R$389

$68.2 MX$1,282

5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.11 R$248

$53.1 MX$999

-13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 R$759

$108 MX$2,026

30.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$345

$117 MX$2,204

-45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 R$1,668

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-72.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,176

$710 MX$13.4K

-69.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 R$3,951

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-71.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R$2,102

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-72.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,266 R$6,811

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-65.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$742 R$3,991

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-65.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$365 R$1,965

$946 MX$17.8K

-61.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.1

11.35

41.85%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cuiaba

$265 26%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 20.7% $55

Accommodation & Living

Cuiaba

$218 21.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 225% $492

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuiaba

$207 20.3%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 39% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Cuiaba

$146 14.3%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 7.1% $10

Eating Out

Cuiaba

$107 10.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 85.1% $91

Getting Around

Cuiaba

$40 * 3.9%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 35.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cuiaba

$36 3.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 101% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Cuiaba and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $27 in Cuiaba vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $320 per month, with Cuiaba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cuiaba

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

2 h behind Cuiaba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

650,877

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuiaba Mexico City 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuiaba
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

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

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Cuiaba. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Cuiaba versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $27 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,018 per month in Cuiaba versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Cuiaba is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cuiaba is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Cuiaba wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.