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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $920 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,413 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,906 in Belem.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Belem is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.78 R$24.63

149.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$19.78 R$102

160.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.94 R$35.73

64.41%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.01 R$10.38

98.51%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.03 R$5.31

61.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.51 R$2.64

160.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.52 R$7.81

128.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.29 R$11.81

157.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.29 R$6.66

45.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.41 R$12.41

34.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.29 R$6.65

67.44%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.09 R$10.77

38.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.12 R$47.01

41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.46 R$22.96

125.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.59 R$39.10

108.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.23 R$11.47

47.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.38 R$7.10

45.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.44 R$7.43

52.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.67 R$8.61

41.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.02 R$5.23

100.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.61 R$3.12

211.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.29 R$6.62

24.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.38 R$7.14

1.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.68 R$13.80

103.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$9.67 R$49.83

82.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.41 R$7.29

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$4.82 R$24.85

-2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.88 R$4.52

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$33.74 R$174

-38.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.15 R$5.95

82.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.19 R$6.16

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$8.21 R$42.29

-29.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.25 R$6.46

28.80%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$22.8K R$117.6K

0.09%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$31.6K R$162.8K

-15.35%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$98.3 R$506

-33.70%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$11.06 R$57.0

172.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$30.50 R$157

21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$21.09 R$109

183.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$38.56 R$199

-31.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.67 R$39.49

-8.21%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$112 R$576

315.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$3,359 R$17.3K

295.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$31.67 R$163

139.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$43.49 R$224

28.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$81.7 R$421

36.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$65.4 R$337

84.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$531 R$2,733

107.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$275 R$1,415

162.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$860 R$4,429

194.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$517 R$2,665

150.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,952 R$10.1K

104.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,408 R$7,255

48.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$405 R$2,088

155.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.48

-1.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Belem: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $531 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 156% 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 $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $219 per month, with Belem 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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 156% 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 $531 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $112 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $920 in Belem versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.