Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $916 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Brasilia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Brasilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $916 in Brasilia.

Mexico City $1,608
Brasilia $916

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,514 in Brasilia.

Mexico City $2,549
Brasilia $1,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,112 in Brasilia.

Mexico City $3,490
Brasilia $2,112

Living in Mexico City is roughly 75% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Brasilia is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$8.44 R$45.15

25.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$36.71 R$196

31.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$7.98 R$42.72

29.70%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$2.53 R$13.51

45.85%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$1.42 R$7.60

17.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$1.00 R$5.36

27.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$2.20 R$11.77

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$3.76 R$20.10

41.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$1.02 R$5.45

68.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$1.95 R$10.45

55.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.24 R$6.64

56.45%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$2.27 R$12.17

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$11.17 R$59.8

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$3.86 R$20.68

139.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$8.58 R$45.90

76.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$2.31 R$12.34

32.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.38 R$7.38

40.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$1.26 R$6.73

61.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$1.52 R$8.14

51.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$1.11 R$5.95

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$0.98 R$5.22

83.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$0.76 R$4.04

94.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$0.93 R$5.00

36.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$2.36 R$12.65

124.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$7.67 R$41.04

109.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$1.24 R$6.64

59.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$2.36 R$12.60

80.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$0.73 R$3.90

-57.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$29.76 R$159

-33.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$1.01 R$5.43

82.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

$0.86 R$4.59

-38.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

$5.77 R$30.89

-8.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$1.25 R$6.68

20.80%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$22.0K R$117.5K

-0.90%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$31.9K R$170.4K

-24.69%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$92.1 R$493

-31.63%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$11.85 R$63.4

131.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$20.93 R$112

70.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$30.47 R$163

93.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

$26.29 R$141

-10.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$7.46 R$39.95

-14.21%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$764 R$4,091

-43.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$15.7K R$84.1K

-27.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$52.6 R$282

29.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$42.10 R$225

26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$79.4 R$425

35.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$83.6 R$447

40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$517 R$2,767

115.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$242 R$1,292

194.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$1,156 R$6,188

123.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$580 R$3,102

142.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$2,398 R$12.8K

51.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$1,678 R$8,979

27.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$784 R$4,197

20.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

12.12

-6.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Brasilia

$242 26.4% 66% $469

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Brasilia

$201 21.9% 37.2% $119

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Brasilia

$150 16.4% 24.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Brasilia

$116 12.7% 25.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Brasilia

$125 13.6% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Brasilia

$45 5% 36.7% $26

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Brasilia

$38 4.1% 49.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $517 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $37 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $201 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

11:08 11:08 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Brasilia 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $916 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $517 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 $37 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $916 in Brasilia – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $916 in Brasilia versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 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.

It comes down to priorities – Brasilia wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.