Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Campinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Campinas: $1,006 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Campinas
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,006
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $1,006 in Campinas, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Campinas $1,006

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $1,680 in Campinas, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Campinas $1,680

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $2,354 in Campinas, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Campinas $2,354

Mexico City costs about 56% more than Campinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Campinas is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$10.02 R$50.8
7.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$36.21 R$184
38.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$8.91 R$45.15
24.58%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$2.38 R$12.07
54.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$1.35 R$6.84
22.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$0.89 R$4.50
46.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$2.47 R$12.51
34.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$4.07 R$20.65
36.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.03 R$5.22
71.84%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$1.98 R$10.04
54.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.39 R$7.04
44.60%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$2.56 R$12.98
8.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$10.67 R$54.1
11.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$4.75 R$24.10
96.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$10.73 R$54.4
39.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$2.42 R$12.28
27.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.67 R$8.45
16.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$1.60 R$8.13
26.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$1.37 R$6.92
61.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$1.30 R$6.60
55.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$1.25 R$6.33
45.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$0.94 R$4.76
61.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$0.88 R$4.47
45.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$2.57 R$13.00
105.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$8.38 R$42.50
92.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$1.53 R$7.75
27.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$2.49 R$12.61
70.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$1.15 R$5.81
-73.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$43.96 R$223
-54.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$1.19 R$6.03
68.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$0.73 R$3.71
-27.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$8.64 R$43.80
-34.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.35 R$6.83
12.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$23.6K R$119.7K
-10.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$32.8K R$166.2K
-23.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$66.3 R$336
-5.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$14.65 R$74.3
96.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$22.84 R$116
50.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$29.36 R$149
94.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$36.62 R$186
-32.25%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$8.08 R$40.96
-17.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$439 R$2,227
-1.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$10.9K R$55.0K
8.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$66.1 R$335
7.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$57.6 R$292
-9.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$89.7 R$455
21.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$80.0 R$405
40.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$442 R$2,242
137.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$287 R$1,454
131.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$979 R$4,962
139.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$687 R$3,482
78.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$2,168 R$11.0K
63.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$1,251 R$6,341
58.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Campinas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$576 R$2,922
69.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
10.81
4.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Campinas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Campinas
$287 56.9% $378
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Campinas
$219 32% $103
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Campinas
$165 18.8% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Campinas
$132 14.7% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Campinas
$104 17.4% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Campinas
$46 35.4% $25
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Campinas
$53 107% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $442 in Campinas. 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 69% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City versus $36.00 in Campinas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $219 – making Campinas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇧🇷 Campinas
🕒 Local time
06:52 6:52 AM
09:52 9:52 AM
3 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
1,139,047
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Campinas 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Campinas

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 Campinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Campinas?
Mexico City costs about 56% more than Campinas, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mexico City and in Campinas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $1,509 in Campinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mexico City or Campinas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Campinas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mexico City or in Campinas?
Groceries cost about 47% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Mexico City and in Campinas?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mexico City and $36.00 in Campinas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mexico City or in Campinas?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Campinas, where all-in costs run around $1,006, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Campinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Campinas?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Campinas costs $1,006 versus $1,567 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Mexico City or to Campinas?
If budget matters most, go with Campinas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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