Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cascais Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cascais

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,195 in Cascais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $3,513 in Cascais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $4,831 in Cascais.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 33% less than in Cascais, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Cascais 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$14.14 €12.17

-6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$46.31 €39.87

16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.08 €7.82

3.74%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$2.89 €2.49

22.84%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$2.15 €1.85

-24.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$1.50 €1.29

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$2.25 €1.93

38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.46 €2.97

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.07 €0.92

58.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.83 €1.57

48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.88 €1.62

1.60%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$3.08 €2.65

-17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$11.13 €9.58

-9.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.77 €6.69

4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.43 €12.42

-19.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.48 €2.14

19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.70 €1.47

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.96 €1.69

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$2.90 €2.50

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.46 €1.26

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$2.05 €1.77

10.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.72 €1.48

-18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.94 €0.81

20.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$6.07 €5.22

-29.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.96 €6.85

95.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.27 €1.09

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.64 €2.27

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$2.67 €2.29

-85.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$46.99 €40.46

-59.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$4.06 €3.49

-66.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.86 €0.74

-67.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$14.53 €12.51

-62.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.98 €1.71

-34.34%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$34.9K €30.0K

-46.40%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$40.0K €34.5K

-42.22%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$147 €127

-72.22%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$21.49 €18.50

24.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$41.98 €36.14

-28.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$68.9 €59.3

-24.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$11.37 €9.79

136.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.42 €7.25

-25.18%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$616 €530

-29.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$16.2K €13.9K

-35.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$87.5 €75.3

-35.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$38.42 €33.08

15.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$92.7 €79.8

11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$94.1 €81.0

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,712 €1,474

-40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$1,277 €1,100

-50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$3,794 €3,266

-43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$2,605 €2,243

-52.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$7,217 €6,213

-45.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$5,058 €4,354

-59.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,300 €1,980

-51.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.81

197.64%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cascais: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,712 in Cascais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 106% 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 $46.00 in Cascais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $263 per month, with Cascais 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 Cascais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cascais earns 106% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,712 in Cascais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cascais pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $46.00 in Cascais. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,195 in Cascais, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cascais, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cascais are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.