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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $783 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,254 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,724 in Belem.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Belem is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.43 R$22.66

195.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$28.89 R$148

86.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$6.26 R$32.02

54.63%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.60 R$8.16

133.75%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.93 R$4.73

74.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.47 R$2.38

146.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.60 R$8.16

101.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.51 R$17.93

35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.15 R$5.90

43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$2.11 R$10.79

30.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.25 R$6.36

49.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.98 R$10.11

26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.31 R$52.7

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$3.95 R$20.18

108.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$6.71 R$34.28

76.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.71 R$8.74

76.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.73 R$8.83

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.29 R$6.59

55.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.46 R$7.47

36.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.92 R$4.72

126.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$0.55 R$2.81

312.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.03 R$5.27

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.35 R$6.88

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.49 R$12.74

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$9.88 R$50.5

71.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.31 R$6.70

32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$4.56 R$23.32

-21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.74 R$3.80

-47.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$21.48 R$110

-12.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.11 R$5.67

19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.74 R$3.79

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$8.84 R$45.17

-40.61%

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

$16.1K R$82.3K

20.52%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$29.0K R$148.0K

-17.70%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$111 R$568

-63.39%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$14.53 R$74.3

84.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$21.28 R$109

43.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$21.25 R$109

148.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$21.56 R$110

23.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$6.21 R$31.76

4.83%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$101 R$514

325.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$3,082 R$15.7K

240.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$32.98 R$169

73.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$28.89 R$148

57.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$75.8 R$387

37.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$41.88 R$214

157.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$435 R$2,225

130.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$188 R$962

230.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$800 R$4,091

163.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$466 R$2,382

161.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,951 R$9,972

99.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,369 R$6,995

48.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$409 R$2,090

153.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.2

-7.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Belem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $435 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 154% 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 $29.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $207 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 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 154% 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 $435 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 15% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $101 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $783 in Belem versus $1,456 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 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.