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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,116 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,509 in Aracaju.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 130% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Aracaju is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.73 R$24.31

152.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$23.49 R$121

119.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.01 R$30.89

89.85%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.76 R$9.06

126.70%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.13 R$5.82

46.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.59 R$3.04

125.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.96 R$10.10

77.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.74 R$14.08

115.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.02 R$5.26

84.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.49 R$7.68

118.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.20 R$6.15

80.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$1.68 R$8.65

72.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$7.51 R$38.62

71.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.65 R$18.79

175.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.97 R$35.82

127.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.04 R$10.48

61.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.24 R$6.36

62.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.65 R$3.34

238.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.04 R$5.34

126.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$0.98 R$5.05

109.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.93 R$4.81

104.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.54 R$2.80

198.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.69 R$3.52

102.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.30 R$11.84

137.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.88 R$30.26

200.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.26 R$6.46

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.05 R$10.53

128.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.90 R$4.65

-62.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$41.89 R$215

-50.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.57 R$8.09

33.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.18 R$6.08

-52.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.71 R$34.49

-13.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 R$6.59

25.78%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$23.6K R$121.2K

-3.09%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$32.8K R$168.9K

-18.56%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$93.7 R$482

-30.41%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$9.65 R$49.63

211.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$16.63 R$85.5

123.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$21.73 R$112

175.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$26.42 R$136

0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.37 R$32.76

10.52%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$176 R$907

163.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$5,177 R$26.6K

156.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$55.6 R$286

36.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$33.97 R$175

64.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$84.4 R$434

32.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$81.3 R$418

48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$295 R$1,516

274.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$138 R$712

420.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$614 R$3,158

311.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$273 R$1,401

374.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,254 R$6,447

218.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$875 R$4,499

138.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$450 R$2,312

130.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

13.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $295 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 131% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $161 per month, with Aracaju 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

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

Mexico City and Aracaju differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $723 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $295 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $176 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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.

Expats usually find Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.