Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $844 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,306 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,769 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Belo Horizonte is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.47 R$32.74

103.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$33.04 R$167

63.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.68 R$33.83

41.02%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.55 R$7.85

129.03%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.93 R$4.69

74.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.64 R$3.26

73.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.76 R$8.92

77.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.01 R$15.24

53.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$0.89 R$4.52

91.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.51 R$7.64

80.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.59 R$8.03

20.13%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$1.94 R$9.84

30.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$7.89 R$39.97

27.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.38 R$17.10

139.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.19 R$36.43

61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.17 R$10.98

36.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.29 R$6.52

40.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.09 R$5.52

84.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.30 R$6.60

56.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.01 R$5.12

109.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.85 R$4.33

167.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.70 R$3.56

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.67 R$3.41

68.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.11 R$10.67

102.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.69 R$43.99

79.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.07 R$5.42

64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.14 R$10.82

68.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.96 R$4.87

-60.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$40.86 R$207

-53.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.93 R$4.69

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.14 R$5.78

-75.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$8.33 R$42.19

-34.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.05 R$5.31

23.81%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$25.5K R$129.0K

-26.63%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$28.9K R$146.1K

-19.84%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$66.0 R$334

-38.06%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$14.58 R$73.8

83.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$20.88 R$106

43.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$24.00 R$122

116.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$39.35 R$199

-31.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.15 R$36.19

-11.89%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$368 R$1,861

18.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$6,826 R$34.6K

52.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$52.5 R$266

7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$37.80 R$191

17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$72.7 R$368

41.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$65.9 R$334

60.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$404 R$2,045

153.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$265 R$1,341

138.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$697 R$3,529

206.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$455 R$2,302

173.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,309 R$11.7K

69.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,109 R$5,617

86.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$625 R$3,165

78.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.83

4.71%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 78% 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 $33.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $172 per month, with Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Belo Horizonte differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $844 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 78% 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 $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $368 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.