Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
Learn more

Cabo Frio Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $625 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Cabo Frio $625

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $1,031 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Cabo Frio $1,031

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,438 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Cabo Frio $1,438

Mexico City costs about 168% more than Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Cabo Frio is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$5.58 R$30.63

89.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$978

$27.85 R$153

86.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$202

$6.46 R$35.46

66.10%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.4

$1.62 R$8.90

134.57%

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

$1.61 MX$30.35

$1.26 R$6.91

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.81

$0.50 R$2.75

142.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.8

$1.13 R$6.20

181.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$1.79 R$9.84

203.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$0.77 R$4.22

123.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.8

$1.41 R$7.72

110.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.24

$0.76 R$4.19

153.95%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.2

$1.43 R$7.85

93.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$220

$7.20 R$39.49

62.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$3.18 R$17.47

198.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$9.19 R$50.4

67.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.4

$1.77 R$9.71

75.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.90

$1.10 R$6.06

78.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.30

$0.90 R$4.95

120.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.95

$1.18 R$6.50

98.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.08

$0.64 R$3.51

215.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.34

$0.75 R$4.14

142.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.06

$0.53 R$2.92

190.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.70

$0.54 R$2.94

142.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$101

$1.50 R$8.21

256.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$305

$5.50 R$30.20

194.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.87

$0.88 R$4.81

122.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.9

$1.32 R$7.24

229.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.74

$1.25 R$6.87

-76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$367

$74.7 R$410

-73.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.08

$1.22 R$6.68

57.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.90

$0.73 R$4.00

-35.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$7.24 R$39.72

-25.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.92

$1.08 R$5.91

37.04%

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

$21.4K MX$402.2K

$19.7K R$108.2K

8.40%

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

$23.8K MX$447.1K

$28.6K R$156.8K

-16.87%

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

$62.0 MX$1,167

$54.1 R$297

14.63%

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

$28.47 MX$536

$7.04 R$38.66

304.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$642

$12.74 R$69.9

167.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,099

$20.35 R$112

186.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$4.39 R$24.10

50.11%

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

$434 MX$8,172

$135 R$740

222.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$264.1K

$2,436 R$13.4K

476.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,286

$42.09 R$231

62.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,031

$37.34 R$205

46.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,086

$51.9 R$285

113.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,183

$44.49 R$244

160.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.2K

$418 R$2,295

182.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$108 R$594

612.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.4K

$611 R$3,355

320.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$262 R$1,439

441.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.9K

$256 R$1,407

291.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.67

6.37%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3% 86% $663

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1% 53.4% $173

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Cabo Frio

$100 16% 50.3% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7% 49.8% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8% 40.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7% 59.3% $42

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5% 238% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $418 in Cabo Frio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $28 in Cabo Frio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $151 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

222,161

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Cabo Frio 7,780 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 168%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $938 in Cabo Frio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $625 in Cabo Frio. That makes Cabo Frio about 63% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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