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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $772 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,253 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,734 in Belem.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Belem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Belem is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.43 R$22.39

197.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$28.57 R$145

88.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.16 R$31.15

52.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.59 R$8.07

123.27%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.93 R$4.71

74.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.44 R$2.20

152.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.60 R$8.12

95.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.70 R$18.74

25.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.16 R$5.86

46.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.10 R$10.63

29.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.23 R$6.24

55.28%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.02 R$10.21

25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.65 R$53.9

-5.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.88 R$19.61

108.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.50 R$32.88

78.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.69 R$8.55

75.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.66 R$8.40

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.23 R$6.25

63.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.45 R$7.35

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.92 R$4.66

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.56 R$2.84

305.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.03 R$5.22

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.34 R$6.78

-15.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.38 R$12.04

79.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.65 R$48.83

61.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.36 R$6.88

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$4.43 R$22.42

-18.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.69 R$3.48

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$21.60 R$109

-11.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.05 R$5.30

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.72 R$3.62

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$9.12 R$46.14

-40.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.08 R$5.46

20.37%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$16.2K R$81.7K

15.68%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$28.9K R$146.3K

-19.99%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$110 R$557

-62.91%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$14.40 R$72.8

86.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$21.23 R$107

41.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$20.77 R$105

150.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$21.71 R$110

23.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.32 R$31.99

-0.32%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$97.4 R$493

347.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,133 R$15.9K

232.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$32.96 R$167

71.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$28.72 R$145

54.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$75.0 R$379

37.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$41.69 R$211

153.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$442 R$2,237

131.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$185 R$938

240.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$815 R$4,123

162.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$457 R$2,314

171.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,996 R$10.1K

95.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,420 R$7,186

45.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$392 R$1,982

184.60%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belem: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $442 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 185% 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 $288 vs $206 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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 185% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $442 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 13% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $97.4 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $772 in Belem versus $1,467 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.