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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $785 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,230 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,676 in Castanhal.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Castanhal is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$5.38 R$27.73

144.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$27.39 R$141

96.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$6.23 R$32.08

51.20%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$1.74 R$8.95

104.02%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.12 R$5.77

44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.66 R$3.39

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$1.85 R$9.51

68.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$2.64 R$13.62

75.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$0.92 R$4.75

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.47 R$7.56

85.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.19 R$6.15

60.50%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.04 R$10.52

24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$8.32 R$42.85

20.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$3.60 R$18.53

124.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$7.20 R$37.09

61.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$2.13 R$10.97

39.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.26 R$6.51

43.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.14 R$5.85

76.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.49 R$7.68

36.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.14 R$5.86

85.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$1.11 R$5.72

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$0.69 R$3.56

102.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.66 R$3.41

71.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$2.10 R$10.84

103.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$6.81 R$35.10

128.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.27 R$6.53

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.08 R$10.72

73.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.93 R$4.81

-59.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$38.19 R$197

-49.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.10 R$5.69

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.76 R$3.90

-63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$6.54 R$33.68

-16.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.04 R$5.36

25.00%

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$20.4K R$105.1K

-8.42%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$27.8K R$143.3K

-16.85%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$61.0 R$314

-33.03%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$13.75 R$70.9

94.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$18.73 R$96.5

59.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$22.87 R$118

127.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$21.99 R$113

22.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$6.23 R$32.09

1.12%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$266 R$1,369

64.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$6,397 R$33.0K

62.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$48.34 R$249

17.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$42.34 R$218

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$77.1 R$397

33.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$63.2 R$326

66.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$321 R$1,655

218.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$213 R$1,098

195.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$585 R$3,012

265.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$438 R$2,255

183.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$1,771 R$9,125

120.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,097 R$5,653

88.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $321 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $172 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 87% 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 $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,177 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $321 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 $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $785 in Castanhal – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $785 in Castanhal versus $1,467 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 $785 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 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.