Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Belo Horizonte

For one person, living is cheaper in Belo Horizonte: $984 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Belo Horizonte
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Belo Horizonte Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Belo Horizonte

🇧🇷 Brazil

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Belo Horizonte

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Belo Horizonte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $984 in Belo Horizonte.

Mexico City $1,561
Belo Horizonte $984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,589 in Belo Horizonte.

Mexico City $2,440
Belo Horizonte $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $2,193 in Belo Horizonte.

Mexico City $3,319
Belo Horizonte $2,193

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Belo Horizonte is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$5.90 R$29.46

88.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$37.35 R$186

31.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$8.86 R$44.22

26.75%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$2.27 R$11.36

65.64%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$1.43 R$7.13

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$0.81 R$4.05

58.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$2.12 R$10.60

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$3.67 R$18.32

54.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$0.95 R$4.72

90.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$1.82 R$9.09

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$2.08 R$10.39

-1.44%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$2.22 R$11.07

31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$9.91 R$49.47

20.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$4.33 R$21.63

119.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$7.63 R$38.10

94.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$1.93 R$9.66

62.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.15 R$5.75

74.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$1.20 R$5.98

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$1.65 R$8.23

34.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$1.15 R$5.74

79.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$0.97 R$4.86

93.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$0.85 R$4.23

74.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$0.92 R$4.58

46.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$2.47 R$12.33

119.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$8.23 R$41.09

104.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$1.43 R$7.15

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$2.74 R$13.68

57.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$1.25 R$6.26

-72.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$68.0 R$339

-70.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$1.02 R$5.10

105.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$0.77 R$3.84

-31.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$6.32 R$31.53

-14.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$1.32 R$6.58

15.15%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$24.0K R$119.9K

-9.51%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$32.5K R$162.1K

-23.59%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$76.1 R$380

-17.24%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$10.33 R$51.6

179.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$21.02 R$105

61.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$28.07 R$140

98.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$46.30 R$231

-46.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$7.90 R$39.41

-14.30%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$459 R$2,292

-6.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$13.8K R$69.0K

-14.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$62.0 R$309

13.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$48.86 R$244

9.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$97.6 R$487

12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$71.5 R$357

61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$590 R$2,945

80.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$292 R$1,456

129.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$890 R$4,440

167.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$591 R$2,950

113.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$2,358 R$11.8K

57.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$1,121 R$5,598

76.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$613 R$3,062

62.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.25

0.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Belo Horizonte

$292 30% 56.5% $379

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Belo Horizonte

$198 20.3% 39.5% $129

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Belo Horizonte

$128 13.2% 38.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Belo Horizonte

$126 13% 19.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Belo Horizonte

$107 11.1% 14.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Belo Horizonte

$44 4.5% 36.7% $25

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Belo Horizonte

$78 8% 196% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $590 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 63% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $198 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,315,560

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Belo Horizonte 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Belo Horizonte

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $984 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $590 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $459 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $984 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,561 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.