Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Itu and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Itu: $719 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Itu, Brazil
Mexico City, Mexico
Itu
🇧🇷 Brazil
$719
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Itu vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Itu $719
  • Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,300 per month in Itu vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Itu $1,300
  • Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,882 per month in Itu vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Itu $1,882
  • Mexico City $3,490

Itu is about 55% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Itu sits 47% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.36 R$28.70
$10.62 MX$199
-49.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.63 R$207
$48.35 MX$904
-20.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.99 R$32.06
$10.35 MX$193
-42.13%
Cappuccino
$1.63 R$8.71
$3.69 MX$69.0
-55.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 R$3.85
$1.67 MX$31.14
-56.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 R$2.62
$1.27 MX$23.65
-61.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.14 R$6.09
$3.19 MX$59.7
-64.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 R$10.04
$5.31 MX$99.2
-64.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 R$4.56
$1.72 MX$32.23
-50.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 R$7.70
$3.04 MX$56.8
-52.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 R$6.29
$1.94 MX$36.27
-39.18%
Eggs
$2.16 R$11.56
$2.89 MX$54.0
-25.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.33 R$49.92
$10.97 MX$205
-14.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.64 R$19.47
$9.25 MX$173
-60.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.62 R$30.07
$15.13 MX$283
-62.86%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 R$8.69
$3.05 MX$57.0
-46.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.73
$1.94 MX$36.27
-35.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.76 R$4.09
$2.03 MX$37.85
-62.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.95 R$10.46
$2.31 MX$43.25
-15.58%
Potato (1kg)
$0.97 R$5.21
$2.04 MX$38.03
-52.45%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 R$5.28
$1.80 MX$33.63
-45.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 R$3.90
$1.48 MX$27.64
-50.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 R$2.40
$1.27 MX$23.69
-64.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.32 R$12.44
$5.30 MX$99.1
-56.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.50 R$29.43
$16.10 MX$301
-65.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$6.35
$1.98 MX$37.06
-39.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 R$10.08
$4.25 MX$79.5
-55.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.01 R$5.39
$0.31 MX$5.70
225.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.39 R$227
$19.73 MX$369
114.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.90 R$4.83
$1.84 MX$34.34
-51.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.90 R$4.80
$0.53 MX$9.97
69.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.24 R$38.73
$5.30 MX$99.0
36.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 R$4.85
$1.51 MX$28.23
-39.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K R$117.5K
$21.8K MX$406.5K
0.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K R$142.0K
$24.0K MX$448.2K
10.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$78.1 R$418
$63.0 MX$1,177
23.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.00 R$58.9
$27.39 MX$512
-59.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.94 R$85.3
$35.67 MX$666
-55.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.10 R$129
$58.9 MX$1,101
-59.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.43 R$141
$23.64 MX$442
11.80%
Cinema Ticket
$4.52 R$24.20
$6.40 MX$120
-29.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 R$1,061
$432 MX$8,065
-54.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,502 R$40.1K
$11.4K MX$213.5K
-34.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.56 R$249
$68.2 MX$1,275
-31.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.52 R$195
$53.1 MX$993
-31.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.2 R$344
$108 MX$2,014
-40.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.18 R$252
$117 MX$2,191
-59.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$301 R$1,611
$1,113 MX$20.8K
-72.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$185 R$992
$710 MX$13.3K
-73.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$735 R$3,934
$2,588 MX$48.4K
-71.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$617 R$3,302
$1,406 MX$26.3K
-56.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,600 R$8,561
$3,631 MX$67.8K
-55.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,135 R$6,073
$2,135 MX$39.9K
-46.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Itu
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$275 R$1,470
$946 MX$17.7K
-70.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.38
11.35
9.07%

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

Last update for Itu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Itu
$185
Mexico City
$710 283% $525
Groceries & Markets
Itu
$162
Mexico City
$320 97.7% $158
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Itu
$105
Mexico City
$126 20% $21
Eating Out
Itu
$95
Mexico City
$199 110% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Itu
$88
Mexico City
$156 78.1% $68
Getting Around
Itu
$52
Mexico City
$25 50.8% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Itu
$33
Mexico City
$72 117% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $301 in Itu versus $1,113 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 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Itu versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $320 – making Itu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Itu
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
11:03 11:03 AM
08:03 8:03 AM
3 h behind Itu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
168,240
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Itu Mexico City 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Itu
  • 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
Itu vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Itu and in Mexico City compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $719 in Itu, $1,608 in Mexico City – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Itu compared to Mexico City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,079 per month in Itu and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Itu and Mexico City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Itu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $301 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Itu and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Itu or Mexico City?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $719 in Itu and $1,608 in Mexico City. That’s a gap of about 124%.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Itu, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Itu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Itu or Mexico City?
Families tend to lean toward Itu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Itu and Mexico City?
If budget matters most, go with Itu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Itu vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?