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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $858 in Barreiras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,353 in Barreiras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,849 in Barreiras.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than in Barreiras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Barreiras is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.10 R$31.37

95.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$26.77 R$138

92.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.57 R$33.77

73.67%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.03 R$10.42

96.55%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.23 R$6.32

34.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.85 R$4.36

56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.71 R$8.79

102.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.75 R$14.15

114.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$0.88 R$4.54

113.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.68 R$8.63

93.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.06 R$5.46

103.77%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.09 R$10.76

38.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.53 R$54.1

22.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.89 R$19.99

158.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.30 R$37.53

117.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.34 R$12.05

40.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.16 R$5.98

73.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.27 R$6.54

73.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.59 R$8.16

48.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.24 R$6.38

65.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.97 R$4.97

95.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.75 R$3.85

114.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.75 R$3.86

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.58 R$13.28

111.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.89 R$35.42

156.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.37 R$7.04

50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.92 R$9.89

143.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.88 R$4.54

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$47.51 R$244

-56.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.41 R$7.27

48.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.75 R$3.87

-25.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.32 R$37.63

-20.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 R$6.61

25.78%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$21.8K R$112.2K

4.67%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$30.2K R$155.3K

-11.45%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$76.6 R$394

-14.95%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$11.02 R$56.7

173.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$18.85 R$96.9

97.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$23.82 R$122

150.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$29.30 R$151

-9.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.25 R$32.13

12.64%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$287 R$1,475

62.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,607 R$39.1K

74.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$61.2 R$314

24.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$44.02 R$226

27.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$79.5 R$409

40.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$74.3 R$382

62.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$360 R$1,853

205.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$253 R$1,300

185.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$680 R$3,497

271.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$448 R$2,302

188.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,700 R$8,744

134.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,300 R$6,683

60.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.06

2.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $360 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $185 per month, with Barreiras 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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,287 in Barreiras to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $360 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $287 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $858 in Barreiras versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.