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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,677 per month in Mexico City vs $831 in Barretos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,326 in Barretos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Mexico City vs $1,822 in Barretos, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 102% more than Barretos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 22% above the global median, while Barretos is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$6.78 R$34.77

79.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$22.71 R$116

137.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.87 R$30.07

88.93%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.51 R$7.73

171.52%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.28 R$6.58

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.60 R$3.08

131.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.37 R$12.17

40.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.82 R$14.43

108.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.05 R$5.40

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.10 R$10.76

50.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.34 R$6.86

54.48%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.63 R$13.48

11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.33 R$58.1

11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.73 R$24.25

113.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.44 R$53.5

54.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.37 R$12.16

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.72 R$8.83

20.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.54 R$7.91

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.49 R$7.61

61.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.28 R$6.58

66.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.16 R$5.95

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.93 R$4.78

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.80 R$4.11

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.34 R$12.00

146.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.94 R$40.72

123.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.47 R$7.53

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.43 R$12.44

89.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.93 R$4.76

-60.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$41.69 R$214

-49.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.14 R$5.84

79.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.75 R$3.87

-22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$8.48 R$43.47

-28.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.93 R$4.79

66.67%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$23.1K R$118.3K

-0.92%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$31.9K R$163.5K

-14.61%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$28.95 R$148

132.85%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$5.65 R$28.98

441.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$15.55 R$79.7

139.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$24.17 R$124

154.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$26.15 R$134

3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.90 R$40.49

-10.00%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$429 R$2,201

6.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$9,957 R$51.0K

37.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$65.0 R$333

14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$23.11 R$118

146.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$93.3 R$478

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$67.0 R$344

81.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$348 R$1,786

229.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$234 R$1,199

203.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$632 R$3,241

307.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$443 R$2,272

192.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,603 R$8,218

149.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,143 R$5,859

86.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$554 R$2,842

95.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.81

4.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Barretos: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in Mexico City versus $348 in Barretos. 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 95% 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 $23.00 in Barretos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $220 – making Barretos 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 Barretos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City, $831 in Barretos – roughly 102% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,515 per month in Mexico City and $1,247 in Barretos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $23.00 in Barretos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,677 in Mexico City and $831 in Barretos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $831, than in Mexico City at $1,677. In Barretos 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 $831 in Barretos to $1,677 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barretos. 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.