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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,668 per month in Mexico City vs $2,173 in Braintree, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,613 per month in Mexico City vs $3,277 in Braintree, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,557 per month in Mexico City vs $4,380 in Braintree, rent included.

Mexico City is about 23% cheaper than Braintree, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Braintree sit above the global median – Mexico City by 24%, Braintree by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$20.04 £15.15

-39.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$937

$92.5 £69.9

-42.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$10.78 £8.15

8.44%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.7

$4.78 £3.61

-19.04%

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

$1.75 MX$31.05

$1.89 £1.43

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.74

$1.16 £0.88

19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.6

$6.59 £4.98

-49.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$6.10 £4.61

-5.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.04

$1.52 £1.15

19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.7

$1.28 £0.97

140.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.78

$1.69 £1.28

26.04%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.8

$3.31 £2.50

-9.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$222

$8.34 £6.30

50.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$182

$7.84 £5.93

30.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$282

$12.98 £9.81

22.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$60.1

$3.29 £2.49

3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.37

$1.48 £1.12

42.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.73

$2.52 £1.90

-15.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.77

$2.92 £2.21

-15.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.16

$1.68 £1.27

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.72

$1.48 £1.12

35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.25

$1.27 £0.96

25.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.58

$1.41 £1.07

-5.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.4

$24.00 £18.14

-77.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$311

$9.32 £7.04

87.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.74

$2.71 £2.05

-25.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$84.1

$2.39 £1.81

98.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.96

$3.54 £2.67

-90.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$374

$94.4 £71.4

-77.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.41

$4.94 £3.73

-58.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.79

$1.36 £1.03

-55.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$21.30 £16.10

-73.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.20

$1.96 £1.48

-18.88%

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

$22.9K MX$406.1K

$37.6K £28.4K

-39.08%

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

$26.4K MX$467.9K

$41.0K £31.0K

-35.72%

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

$64.2 MX$1,140

$246 £186

-73.94%

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

$29.42 MX$522

$14.46 £10.93

103.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$653

$41.92 £31.69

-12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,042

$47.23 £35.70

24.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$471

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$20.66 £15.62

-66.36%

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

$463 MX$8,210

$1,085 £820

-57.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$237.1K

$20.4K £15.4K

-34.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,338

$69.0 £52.2

9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$962

$28.80 £21.77

88.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,972

$77.0 £58.2

44.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,167

$51.7 £39.09

136.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.1K

$1,235 £934

-8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.4K

$1,007 £761

-30.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.3K

$2,086 £1,577

17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.1K

$1,658 £1,253

-21.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.4K

$4,838 £3,657

-19.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.7K

$3,605 £2,725

-42.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.67

141.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Braintree: September 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,133 in Mexico City versus $1,235 in Braintree. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City versus $92.0 in Braintree. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Mexico City vs $268 in Braintree – so Braintree wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Braintree: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,668 in Mexico City, $2,173 in Braintree – roughly 30% apart. Braintree costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,502 per month in Mexico City and $3,259 in Braintree. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Braintree – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City and $92.0 in Braintree. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,668, than in Braintree at $2,173. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Braintree it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,668 in Mexico City to $2,173 in Braintree. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Braintree makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.