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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $643 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $999 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,355 in Aracaju.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 128% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Aracaju is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.94 R$24.70

166.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$21.74 R$109

147.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.31 R$26.60

77.40%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.64 R$8.19

116.46%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.03 R$5.14

57.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.56 R$2.80

98.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.82 R$9.10

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.63 R$13.17

76.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.01 R$5.08

68.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.26 R$6.31

115.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.02 R$5.12

87.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.55 R$7.75

63.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.54 R$32.72

53.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.41 R$17.07

137.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.32 R$31.63

83.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.62 R$8.09

83.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.09 R$5.46

66.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$0.60 R$3.02

235.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.99 R$4.96

105.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.92 R$4.62

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.83 R$4.13

173.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.50 R$2.50

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.60 R$3.02

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.00 R$9.99

113.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.79 R$28.99

168.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.31 R$6.55

34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.85 R$9.28

94.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.79 R$3.96

-51.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$37.78 R$189

-49.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.05 R$5.24

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.10 R$5.50

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.25 R$31.27

-12.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.04 R$5.19

25.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$17.8K R$89.3K

4.76%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$26.6K R$133.2K

-13.09%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$65.9 R$330

-38.01%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.94 R$69.8

92.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$15.74 R$78.8

90.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$18.70 R$93.6

178.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$24.02 R$120

11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.90 R$29.54

6.78%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$164 R$820

166.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,851 R$24.3K

114.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$52.4 R$262

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$30.07 R$151

47.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$69.8 R$349

47.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$79.3 R$397

33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$178 R$892

473.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$117 R$586

438.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$601 R$3,007

255.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$212 R$1,060

486.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,311 R$6,562

197.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$901 R$4,511

129.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$454 R$2,270

145.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.35

9.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $178 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 146% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $146 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 128% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $643 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 146% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $178 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $164 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $643 in Aracaju versus $1,467 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 128% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.