Cost of Living Comparison Between Imbituba and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Imbituba and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $777 in Imbituba versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,223 in Imbituba versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,669 in Imbituba versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Imbituba costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imbituba is 42% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 R$26.51

$13.30 MX$231

-59.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.14 R$135

$53.8 MX$932

-49.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$30.77

$9.42 MX$163

-34.29%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$8.82

$3.59 MX$62.3

-50.42%

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

$1.13 R$5.59

$1.62 MX$28.13

-30.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.02

$1.12 MX$19.49

-45.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$8.85

$3.25 MX$56.3

-45.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 R$13.03

$4.65 MX$80.6

-43.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$4.96

$1.64 MX$28.37

-39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.51

$2.65 MX$46.00

-43.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.63

$1.96 MX$33.99

-42.35%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.64

$2.54 MX$44.08

-23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 R$40.88

$9.97 MX$173

-17.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 R$18.46

$8.39 MX$145

-55.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 R$35.56

$11.83 MX$205

-39.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.29

$2.86 MX$49.62

-27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.45

$1.73 MX$30.05

-24.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.76

$1.99 MX$34.50

-41.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.42

$2.05 MX$35.51

-27.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$5.96

$2.06 MX$35.64

-41.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.30

$2.28 MX$39.54

-53.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.69

$1.45 MX$25.05

-48.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.24

$1.09 MX$18.83

-40.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 R$10.81

$4.27 MX$73.9

-48.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 R$40.51

$14.67 MX$254

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.76 MX$30.58

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$9.91

$3.57 MX$61.8

-44.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.62

$0.38 MX$6.67

144.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.96 R$194

$18.73 MX$325

108.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.51

$1.39 MX$24.09

-20.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.48

$0.30 MX$5.26

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 R$32.11

$5.41 MX$93.8

19.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.21

$1.34 MX$23.22

-21.64%

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

$20.4K R$101.3K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

8.14%

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

$27.7K R$137.8K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

19.51%

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

$60.7 R$302

$40.30 MX$698

50.55%

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

$13.63 R$67.7

$27.15 MX$471

-49.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.12 R$95.0

$29.46 MX$510

-35.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.77 R$113

$52.7 MX$914

-56.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.32 R$106

$26.17 MX$454

-18.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 R$31.75

$6.18 MX$107

3.40%

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

$266 R$1,320

$441 MX$7,637

-39.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,374 R$31.7K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

-40.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 R$245

$57.2 MX$992

-13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.30 R$205

$45.04 MX$781

-8.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 R$378

$103 MX$1,793

-26.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$317

$109 MX$1,884

-41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 R$1,540

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-69.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 R$1,053

$632 MX$11.0K

-66.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 R$2,891

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-72.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R$2,105

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-66.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,679 R$8,345

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-55.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 R$6,027

$2,381 MX$41.3K

-49.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.34

-3.70%

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

Last update for Imbituba: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Imbituba and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in Imbituba vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $286 per month, with Imbituba 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

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

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,165 in Imbituba and $2,199 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Imbituba versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Imbituba versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba 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.

Expats usually find Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.