Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperatriz and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Imperatriz: $854 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Imperatriz
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Imperatriz Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Imperatriz

🇧🇷 Brazil

$854

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $854 in Imperatriz versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Imperatriz $854
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,356 in Imperatriz versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Imperatriz $1,356
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,859 in Imperatriz versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Imperatriz $1,859
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Imperatriz costs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imperatriz is 37% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 R$30.67

$10.59 MX$197

-47.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.30 R$177

$52.0 MX$967

-37.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 R$42.55

$10.73 MX$200

-27.77%

Cappuccino

$1.85 R$10.13

$3.80 MX$70.7

-51.32%

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

$1.35 R$7.42

$1.61 MX$30.01

-16.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 R$2.46

$1.21 MX$22.55

-62.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$11.05

$3.18 MX$59.1

-36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 R$16.63

$5.44 MX$101

-44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R$6.27

$1.72 MX$31.96

-33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 R$7.92

$2.97 MX$55.2

-51.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.95

$1.93 MX$35.84

-34.20%

Eggs

$2.32 R$12.71

$2.77 MX$51.6

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 R$40.65

$11.67 MX$217

-36.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.52 R$19.33

$9.48 MX$176

-62.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 R$48.34

$15.37 MX$286

-42.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$12.60

$3.10 MX$57.8

-25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.66

$1.96 MX$36.49

-38.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 R$5.09

$1.98 MX$36.88

-53.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.79

$2.34 MX$43.46

-39.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$6.12

$2.02 MX$37.66

-45.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.28

$1.82 MX$33.95

-37.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.18

$1.54 MX$28.74

-50.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.98

$1.31 MX$24.42

-45.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 R$10.78

$5.35 MX$99.6

-63.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 R$35.56

$16.19 MX$301

-59.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 R$5.90

$1.96 MX$36.46

-44.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 R$10.44

$4.35 MX$81.0

-56.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 R$4.54

$0.30 MX$5.67

176.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.87 R$241

$19.49 MX$363

125.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.75

$1.92 MX$35.68

-35.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$4.08

$0.47 MX$8.80

57.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 R$41.67

$5.41 MX$101

40.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$6.26

$1.48 MX$27.61

-22.97%

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

$22.8K R$125.3K

$21.4K MX$397.7K

6.78%

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

$30.2K R$165.7K

$23.8K MX$442.1K

27.12%

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

$65.1 R$357

$62.0 MX$1,154

4.95%

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

$12.79 R$70.2

$28.47 MX$530

-55.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 R$108

$34.11 MX$635

-42.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.65 R$130

$58.4 MX$1,087

-59.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.82 R$136

$24.50 MX$456

1.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 R$33.17

$6.59 MX$123

-8.35%

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

$266 R$1,460

$434 MX$8,081

-38.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,987 R$32.9K

$14.0K MX$261.2K

-57.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.69 R$251

$68.4 MX$1,272

-33.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.81 R$257

$54.8 MX$1,020

-14.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 R$486

$111 MX$2,063

-20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 R$376

$116 MX$2,159

-40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 R$1,583

$1,179 MX$21.9K

-75.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,468

$771 MX$14.3K

-65.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 R$3,358

$2,570 MX$47.8K

-76.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 R$2,771

$1,420 MX$26.4K

-64.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,613 R$8,855

$3,586 MX$66.7K

-55.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 R$6,412

$2,064 MX$38.4K

-43.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-3.08%

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

Last update for Imperatriz: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Imperatriz

$268 31.3%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 188% $503

Groceries & Markets

Imperatriz

$176 20.6%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 84.3% $148

Eating Out

Imperatriz

$113 13.3%

Mexico City

$201 12% 76.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Imperatriz

$112 13.2%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 40.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Imperatriz

$97 11.4%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 27.8% $27

Getting Around

Imperatriz

$52 6.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 52.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Imperatriz

$36 4.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 100% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in Imperatriz and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Imperatriz vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $324 per month, with Imperatriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Imperatriz

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

3 h behind Imperatriz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,110

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Imperatriz Mexico City 6,300 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Imperatriz
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

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

Imperatriz is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,281 in Imperatriz and $2,510 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: $288 in Imperatriz versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $32 versus $52 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $854 in Imperatriz versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.