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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $645 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,002 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,359 in Aracaju.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Aracaju is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.97 R$25.41

162.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$21.83 R$112

146.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.29 R$27.05

82.99%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.61 R$8.23

132.30%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.97 R$4.94

67.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.55 R$2.83

110.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.84 R$9.41

75.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.59 R$13.25

83.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$0.95 R$4.84

73.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.30 R$6.67

111.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.04 R$5.30

79.81%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.51 R$7.71

65.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.79 R$34.70

50.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$3.39 R$17.35

143.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$6.35 R$32.45

86.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.64 R$8.39

83.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.14 R$5.80

58.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$0.65 R$3.34

207.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$0.98 R$5.00

104.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.89 R$4.52

133.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$0.88 R$4.50

157.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.46 R$2.34

217.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.56 R$2.87

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.01 R$10.27

116.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$5.67 R$28.96

199.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.32 R$6.77

31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.89 R$9.68

89.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.79 R$4.04

-50.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$38.12 R$195

-50.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.09 R$5.58

22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.09 R$5.57

-74.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.17 R$31.54

-14.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.04 R$5.30

28.85%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$18.4K R$93.8K

5.78%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$26.3K R$134.5K

-9.47%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$68.3 R$349

-40.39%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$14.32 R$73.2

87.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$15.84 R$80.9

92.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$18.83 R$96.2

180.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$24.19 R$124

10.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.82 R$29.74

11.86%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$169 R$863

153.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$4,901 R$25.0K

114.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$51.4 R$263

11.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$30.09 R$154

51.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$68.9 R$352

51.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$79.4 R$406

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$179 R$913

461.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$116 R$592

437.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$598 R$3,056

252.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$211 R$1,077

478.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,268 R$6,478

206.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$867 R$4,432

134.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$452 R$2,310

129.60%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $179 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 130% 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 $292 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 126% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $645 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 130% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $179 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $169 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $645 in Aracaju versus $1,456 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 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.