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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $858 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,351 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,844 in Castanhal.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 94% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Castanhal is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$5.75 R$29.60

107.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$35.32 R$182

46.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.17 R$36.96

59.14%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.90 R$9.77

110.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.34 R$6.92

23.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.79 R$4.09

68.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.98 R$10.21

75.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.83 R$14.60

108.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.06 R$5.48

77.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.70 R$8.76

91.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.27 R$6.54

70.08%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.09 R$10.78

38.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$8.57 R$44.17

50.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.27 R$21.97

135.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$8.12 R$41.85

95.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.37 R$12.22

38.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.34 R$6.90

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.20 R$6.18

83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.74 R$8.95

35.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.09 R$5.61

88.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.22 R$6.29

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.76 R$3.94

111.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.75 R$3.89

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.32 R$11.96

135.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.78 R$45.21

101.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.15 R$5.94

79.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.87 R$9.64

150.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.01 R$5.22

-66.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$47.51 R$245

-56.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.29 R$6.63

62.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.81 R$4.16

-30.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$7.61 R$39.20

-23.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.30 R$6.69

23.85%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$20.4K R$105.0K

12.06%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$34.3K R$176.8K

-22.04%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$66.7 R$344

-2.28%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$11.49 R$59.2

161.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$23.06 R$119

61.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$25.09 R$129

138.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$29.80 R$154

-10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.94 R$35.76

1.44%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$318 R$1,637

46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$8,060 R$41.5K

64.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$52.8 R$272

43.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$48.29 R$249

15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$92.3 R$476

21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$71.5 R$368

68.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$332 R$1,709

232.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$211 R$1,089

240.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$716 R$3,690

253.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$400 R$2,060

223.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,553 R$8,000

157.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,116 R$5,752

87.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.06

2.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $332 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $35.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $191 per month, with Castanhal 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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,286 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $332 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $858 in Castanhal – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $858 in Castanhal versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $858 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.