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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,472 per month in Mexico City vs $663 in Alfenas, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,359 per month in Mexico City vs $1,186 in Alfenas, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,245 per month in Mexico City vs $1,708 in Alfenas, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 122% more than Alfenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Alfenas is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.55 R$18.01

270.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$26.51 R$135

101.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.33 R$27.02

75.05%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$0.92 R$4.68

302.17%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.52 R$2.62

207.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.56 R$2.82

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.14 R$10.84

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.76 R$14.01

75.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.07 R$5.41

54.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.85 R$9.36

46.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.29 R$6.56

48.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.47 R$12.56

4.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$11.24 R$57.0

-12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.19 R$21.24

101.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$8.98 R$45.59

32.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.76 R$14.01

6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.83 R$9.29

-4.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.62 R$8.23

25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.83 R$9.27

12.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.40 R$7.10

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.29 R$6.55

75.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.99 R$5.02

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.73 R$3.68

53.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.77 R$8.98

138.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$9.73 R$49.36

79.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.36 R$6.91

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.29 R$11.64

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.91 R$4.64

-61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$39.26 R$199

-50.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.07 R$5.43

28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.75 R$3.83

-62.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.95 R$45.43

-41.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.10 R$5.60

23.64%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$21.9K R$110.9K

-12.62%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$26.9K R$136.7K

-12.39%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$54.9 R$278

-26.11%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$13.02 R$66.1

110.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$18.32 R$93.0

65.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$22.87 R$116

128.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.51 R$109

23.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.27 R$31.79

-1.28%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$487 R$2,473

-12.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$15.3K R$77.6K

-29.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$51.7 R$262

12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$42.13 R$214

5.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$79.4 R$403

30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$74.5 R$378

45.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$313 R$1,588

224.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$91.0 R$462

584.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$580 R$2,942

265.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$423 R$2,144

189.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,743 R$8,843

117.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,181 R$5,995

78.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$484 R$2,454

117.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.56

-1.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Mexico City versus $313 in Alfenas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 118% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $27.00 in Alfenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $217 – making Alfenas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City, $663 in Alfenas – roughly 122% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,208 per month in Mexico City and $995 in Alfenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alfenas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $27.00 in Alfenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Mexico City at $1,472. In Alfenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $663 in Alfenas to $1,472 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Alfenas. 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.