Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Caldas da Rainha

For one person, living is cheaper in Caldas da Rainha: $1,538 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. The total is higher in Mexico City despite lower rent and utilities.

Mexico City, Mexico
Caldas da Rainha, Portugal
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Caldas da Rainha
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,538 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Caldas da Rainha $1,538

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $2,340 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Caldas da Rainha $2,340

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $3,142 in Caldas da Rainha, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Caldas da Rainha $3,142

Mexico City costs about 5% more than Caldas da Rainha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mexico City and Caldas da Rainha sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Caldas da Rainha by 13%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$15.40 €13.80
-31.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$50.5 €45.25
-4.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$10.17 €9.12
1.77%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.7
$2.04 €1.83
80.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.05
$2.30 €2.06
-27.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.58
$1.41 €1.26
-9.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$2.86 €2.56
11.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$3.84 €3.44
38.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.13
$1.11 €0.99
54.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.6
$1.44 €1.29
111.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$1.51 €1.36
28.48%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$3.01 €2.70
-3.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$204
$10.63 €9.52
3.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$7.38 €6.61
25.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$12.87 €11.53
17.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$1.94 €1.73
57.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.17
$1.36 €1.22
42.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.73
$1.70 €1.53
19.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.12
$2.41 €2.16
-4.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.91
$1.94 €1.74
5.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.53
$1.84 €1.65
-2.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.56
$1.27 €1.14
16.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.62
$0.85 €0.76
49.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.8
$5.56 €4.98
-4.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$4.00 €3.58
302.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.95
$1.66 €1.48
19.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.2
$1.63 €1.46
160.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.68
$3.56 €3.19
-91.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
$33.99 €30.46
-41.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.23
$2.87 €2.57
-35.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.14
$1.97 €1.77
-23.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.3K
$34.0K €30.4K
-35.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$446.9K
$37.4K €33.5K
-35.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,173
$110 €98.2
-42.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$510
$17.81 €15.96
53.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$664
$38.39 €34.40
-7.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,098
$49.37 €44.24
19.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
$27.77 €24.89
-14.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$8.96 €8.03
-28.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,041
$405 €363
6.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.8K
$5,554 €4,977
105.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,271
$94.2 €84.4
-27.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$41.21 €36.93
28.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,008
$110 €99.0
-2.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,185
$68.2 €61.1
71.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.7K
$919 €824
21.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$666 €596
6.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$1,416 €1,269
82.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$1,136 €1,018
23.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.6K
$2,933 €2,629
23.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$2,287 €2,050
-6.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Caldas da Rainha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
$1,147 €1,028
-17.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
3.11
264.95%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Caldas da Rainha
$666 6.3% $45
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Caldas da Rainha
$232 27.4% $88
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Caldas da Rainha
$215 8.2% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Caldas da Rainha
$141 9.3% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Caldas da Rainha
$166 31.5% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Caldas da Rainha
$67 6.2% $4.4
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Caldas da Rainha
$51 * 101% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $919 in Caldas da Rainha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Caldas da Rainha, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $50 in Caldas da Rainha. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $232 in Caldas da Rainha – so Caldas da Rainha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇵🇹 Caldas da Rainha
🕒 Local time
21:10 9:10 PM
03:10 3:10 AM
6 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
50,917
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Caldas da Rainha 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Caldas da Rainha

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 Caldas da Rainha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caldas da Rainha cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $2,307 in Caldas da Rainha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caldas da Rainha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $919 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Caldas da Rainha?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $50 in Caldas da Rainha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Caldas da Rainha?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,538 in Caldas da Rainha. That makes Caldas da Rainha about 4% cheaper.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Mexico City or in Caldas da Rainha?
$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,538 in Caldas da Rainha. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Mexico City or Caldas da Rainha more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Caldas da Rainha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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