Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Braga Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Braga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,624 in Braga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,346 in Braga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,068 in Braga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than in Braga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Braga 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$11.69 €10.19

1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$49.86 €43.46

3.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$9.25 €8.07

23.35%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.91 €1.66

108.90%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.27 €1.98

-26.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.23 €1.07

8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.57 €3.11

-2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.82 €2.46

109.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.15 €1.00

63.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.12 €1.84

53.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.86 €1.62

16.13%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.41 €2.97

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$10.15 €8.85

26.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$8.34 €7.27

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$15.61 €13.61

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.45 €2.13

34.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.45 €1.27

38.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.88 €1.64

17.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.81 €2.45

-16.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.01 €1.75

1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.91 €1.67

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.25 €1.09

28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.97 €0.85

44.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$6.74 €5.88

-18.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$4.69 €4.09

276.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.30 €1.14

58.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.75 €1.52

167.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.80 €1.57

-81.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$23.12 €20.15

-9.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$4.41 €3.85

-52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.74 €1.52

-67.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$17.44 €15.20

-66.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.12 €1.85

-24.06%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$34.0K €29.7K

-32.88%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$38.8K €33.8K

-30.99%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$115 €99.9

-43.12%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$18.45 €16.08

63.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$48.05 €41.89

-22.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$47.18 €41.12

26.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$13.45 €11.73

97.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$9.21 €8.03

-23.56%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$347 €302

33.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$10.1K €8,847

30.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$68.2 €59.5

11.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$38.11 €33.22

46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$85.8 €74.8

30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$102 €89.2

17.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$960 €837

14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$756 €659

-4.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,461 €1,273

73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$1,101 €960

17.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,620 €2,284

52.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,973 €1,720

5.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,306 €1,139

-20.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.55

218.31%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Braga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $960 in Braga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braga pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $50.0 in Braga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $261 per month, with Braga 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 Braga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Braga differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,624 including rent). Braga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Braga. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $960 in Braga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $347 in Braga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,624 in Braga versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Braga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Braga 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Braga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Braga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.