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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $833 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,322 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,811 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 78% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Belo Horizonte is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$6.21 R$31.49

111.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$933

$32.52 R$165

64.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$6.57 R$33.31

45.36%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$1.56 R$7.91

138.46%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.00 R$5.05

57.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.66 R$3.34

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.77 R$8.98

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.02 R$15.30

53.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.68

$0.89 R$4.51

92.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$1.50 R$7.61

74.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.54 R$7.80

22.73%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$1.88 R$9.55

38.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$7.88 R$40.01

25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$3.33 R$16.90

146.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$7.07 R$35.86

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$2.15 R$10.90

39.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.29 R$6.55

39.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.09

$1.09 R$5.54

89.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.31 R$6.67

50.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.06

$1.03 R$5.22

100.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$0.84 R$4.28

158.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$0.65 R$3.32

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.69 R$3.50

55.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$2.10 R$10.64

96.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$8.02 R$40.71

117.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.06 R$5.39

58.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.20 R$11.14

65.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.98 R$4.97

-61.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$40.49 R$205

-53.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$0.99 R$5.03

34.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.08 R$5.48

-72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$8.34 R$42.33

-33.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.04 R$5.28

25.96%

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

$19.2K MX$333.6K

$25.6K R$129.8K

-25.05%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$28.7K R$145.5K

-17.16%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$66.2 R$336

-37.85%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$14.25 R$72.3

94.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$20.53 R$104

46.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$24.08 R$122

123.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$39.62 R$201

-34.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$7.26 R$36.84

-10.61%

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

$437 MX$7,599

$370 R$1,878

17.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$6,733 R$34.2K

55.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$52.5 R$266

11.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$36.47 R$185

25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$72.5 R$368

39.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$66.3 R$337

60.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$409 R$2,077

145.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$267 R$1,355

137.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$678 R$3,442

216.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$448 R$2,275

178.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$2,261 R$11.5K

70.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,081 R$5,485

92.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

$613 R$3,109

75.00%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $409 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 75% 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 $291 vs $170 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $833 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $409 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $370 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $833 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,481 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 78% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.