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: $817 in Imbituba versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,296 in Imbituba versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,775 in Imbituba versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Imbituba costs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imbituba is 41% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 R$24.06

$12.11 MX$204

-61.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.41 R$151

$52.2 MX$881

-43.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 R$34.89

$10.90 MX$184

-37.52%

Cappuccino

$1.93 R$9.89

$4.05 MX$68.4

-52.35%

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

$1.09 R$5.58

$1.72 MX$28.95

-36.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 R$2.34

$1.38 MX$23.25

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R$12.13

$3.47 MX$58.5

-31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.64

$5.81 MX$98.1

-60.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.70

$1.85 MX$31.28

-50.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R$5.80

$3.22 MX$54.4

-64.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 R$4.26

$2.09 MX$35.20

-60.29%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.33

$2.91 MX$49.10

-24.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R$40.28

$12.49 MX$211

-37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 R$16.27

$10.11 MX$171

-68.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R$34.17

$15.89 MX$268

-58.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.73

$3.31 MX$56.0

-54.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 R$4.10

$2.13 MX$35.90

-62.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.81

$2.19 MX$36.97

-48.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 R$4.12

$2.45 MX$41.31

-67.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 R$4.01

$2.19 MX$36.95

-64.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.31

$1.90 MX$32.15

-35.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 R$7.27

$1.62 MX$27.26

-12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.76

$1.35 MX$22.78

-31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 R$16.25

$5.43 MX$91.6

-41.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 R$46.29

$17.59 MX$297

-48.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.76

$2.07 MX$34.90

-45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R$15.80

$4.75 MX$80.1

-35.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.28

$0.34 MX$5.74

147.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 R$231

$21.58 MX$364

109.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 R$10.11

$2.04 MX$34.44

-3.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 R$7.98

$0.58 MX$9.75

168.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 R$50.2

$5.97 MX$101

64.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.23

$1.62 MX$27.27

-24.69%

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

$23.8K R$121.9K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

4.32%

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

$31.6K R$161.8K

$26.7K MX$450.0K

18.42%

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

$57.6 R$295

$65.2 MX$1,101

-11.66%

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

$10.84 R$55.6

$29.87 MX$504

-63.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 R$105

$36.55 MX$617

-44.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.33 R$130

$61.0 MX$1,030

-58.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 R$127

$26.70 MX$451

-6.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.41 R$43.11

$6.85 MX$116

22.77%

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

$312 R$1,598

$453 MX$7,652

-31.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,302 R$32.3K

$13.4K MX$225.7K

-52.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.02 R$226

$75.0 MX$1,265

-41.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.4 R$463

$55.3 MX$933

63.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 R$438

$114 MX$1,917

-24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 R$342

$123 MX$2,070

-45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 R$1,738

$1,134 MX$19.1K

-70.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 R$1,186

$712 MX$12.0K

-67.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 R$3,432

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-73.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 R$2,018

$1,311 MX$22.1K

-69.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,406 R$7,204

$3,993 MX$67.4K

-64.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,038 R$5,320

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-50.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.3

-7.08%

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

Last update for Imbituba: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Imbituba and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29.00 in Imbituba vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $345 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 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,226 in Imbituba and $2,469 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: $339 in Imbituba versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% 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 $29.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Imbituba versus $1,646 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 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.