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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Brasilia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.02 R$35.53

87.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$38.86 R$197

38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.32 R$32.01

49.05%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.96 R$9.91

81.12%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$1.18 R$5.96

37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.86 R$4.35

29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.85 R$9.39

68.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.18 R$16.08

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$0.99 R$5.04

71.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.60 R$8.09

70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.41 R$7.15

35.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.04 R$10.31

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$9.45 R$47.87

6.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.40 R$17.21

137.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.04 R$35.63

65.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.96 R$9.93

51.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.40 R$7.11

29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.20 R$6.09

67.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.66 R$8.39

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.24 R$6.28

70.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.31 R$6.61

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.81 R$4.08

72.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.63 R$3.19

79.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.13 R$10.78

100.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.02 R$45.69

72.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.10 R$5.59

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.39 R$12.09

50.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.03 R$5.21

-63.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$44.41 R$225

-56.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.94 R$4.77

46.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.81 R$4.08

-65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$5.57 R$28.21

-2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.12 R$5.68

16.07%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$25.0K R$126.6K

-25.28%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$29.1K R$147.4K

-20.55%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$72.2 R$366

-43.43%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$13.08 R$66.2

104.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$20.40 R$103

46.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$24.97 R$126

108.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$21.29 R$108

26.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.08 R$35.84

-11.02%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$488 R$2,473

-10.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$15.0K R$75.9K

-30.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$58.3 R$295

-2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$41.97 R$213

5.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$69.8 R$353

47.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$65.2 R$330

61.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$408 R$2,064

150.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$260 R$1,318

142.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$949 R$4,803

125.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$562 R$2,845

121.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,540 R$12.9K

53.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,714 R$8,678

20.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$846 R$4,285

31.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.87

-4.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 32% 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 $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $183 per month, with Brasilia 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 Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Brasilia differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $862 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 32% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $408 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $862 in Brasilia – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.