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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $969 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,551 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,132 in Brasilia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Brasilia is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$8.92 R$45.75

36.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$38.80 R$199

38.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.49 R$43.54

30.62%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.58 R$13.24

58.91%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.41 R$7.22

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.90 R$4.62

54.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.36 R$12.07

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.87 R$19.83

51.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.08 R$5.53

71.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.03 R$10.43

56.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.28 R$6.58

61.72%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.43 R$12.45

20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.81 R$60.6

6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.11 R$21.09

145.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.48 R$43.47

89.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.42 R$12.39

40.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.46 R$7.47

42.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.28 R$6.55

65.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.65 R$8.45

46.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.16 R$5.92

83.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.07 R$5.47

87.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.79 R$4.03

96.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.95 R$4.85

43.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.40 R$12.29

140.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$8.23 R$42.17

115.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.22 R$6.27

69.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.34 R$12.02

97.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.00 R$5.10

-63.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$35.06 R$180

-39.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.07 R$5.47

91.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.92 R$4.73

-36.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.05 R$30.99

0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.31 R$6.73

18.32%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$23.3K R$119.6K

-1.93%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$31.9K R$163.6K

-14.68%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$96.4 R$494

-30.09%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$12.61 R$64.6

142.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$21.81 R$112

70.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$31.07 R$159

97.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$27.00 R$138

0.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.68 R$39.38

-7.42%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$822 R$4,214

-44.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$16.4K R$84.3K

-16.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$51.7 R$265

43.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$43.32 R$222

31.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$83.3 R$427

38.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$86.4 R$443

40.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$479 R$2,453

139.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$258 R$1,322

175.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,116 R$5,719

131.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$557 R$2,855

132.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,457 R$12.6K

63.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,748 R$8,962

21.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$844 R$4,327

28.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

12.12

-6.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $479 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 28% 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 $345 vs $209 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 73% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $969 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $479 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 $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $969 in Brasilia – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $969 in Brasilia versus $1,677 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.