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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Braganca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,566 in Braganca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,060 in Braganca.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Braganca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Braganca is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$9.47 €8.22

38.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$34.93 €30.30

53.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$9.00 €7.81

3.67%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$1.58 €1.37

134.18%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$1.52 €1.32

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.92 €0.80

21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.71 €1.48

83.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$2.97 €2.58

63.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.10 €0.96

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.47 €1.28

84.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.38 €1.20

38.41%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$3.01 €2.61

-13.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.94 €6.89

23.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.65 €4.90

49.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$10.47 €9.08

13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.31 €2.00

27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.52 €1.32

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$1.96 €1.70

4.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$2.53 €2.19

-18.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.36 €1.18

58.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.90 €1.64

18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$1.69 €1.46

-17.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.96 €0.83

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$6.09 €5.29

-30.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.49 €3.89

289.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$1.09 €0.95

56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.28 €1.98

59.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$2.27 €1.97

-84.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$11.73 €10.18

64.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.53 €3.93

-69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.02 €0.88

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$14.51 €12.59

-63.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$1.92 €1.67

-29.17%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$38.9K €33.7K

-50.89%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$40.1K €34.8K

-41.09%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$136 €118

-70.10%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$19.94 €17.30

37.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$29.03 €25.18

4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$35.15 €30.49

48.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$5.93 €5.15

346.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.76 €4.99

7.47%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$457 €396

-6.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$8,327 €7,223

28.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$23.24 €20.16

150.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$23.60 €20.47

88.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$92.1 €79.9

12.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$157 €136

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$443 €385

128.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$311 €269

100.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$758 €658

179.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$460 €399

165.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$1,101 €955

244.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$836 €726

152.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,182 €1,025

-10.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

126.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Braganca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $443 in Braganca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braganca pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Braganca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $213 per month, with Braganca 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 Braganca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Braganca differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,071 including rent). Braganca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Braganca. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $443 in Braganca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Braganca runs roughly 65% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $457 in Braganca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,071 in Braganca versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Braganca but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Braganca 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 Braganca 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 Braganca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.