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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $778 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,240 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,701 in Castanhal.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Castanhal is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.34 R$27.12

146.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$26.67 R$135

100.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.12 R$31.08

52.45%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.81 R$9.17

104.42%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.12 R$5.67

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.67 R$3.38

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.83 R$9.29

71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.71 R$13.76

78.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.93 R$4.73

77.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.51 R$7.64

79.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.13 R$5.72

69.03%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.96 R$9.95

32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.09 R$41.08

21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.72 R$18.87

126.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.37 R$37.38

61.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.09 R$10.59

41.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.26 R$6.39

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.16 R$5.86

75.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.51 R$7.67

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.16 R$5.88

85.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.10 R$5.59

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.69 R$3.51

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.66 R$3.36

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.07 R$10.50

103.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.83 R$44.80

98.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.27 R$6.43

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.02 R$10.23

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.92 R$4.66

-61.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$38.12 R$193

-49.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.06 R$5.40

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.72 R$3.63

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.23 R$31.60

-15.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.04 R$5.29

30.77%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$20.9K R$106.1K

-8.67%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.9K R$141.8K

-15.54%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$60.2 R$306

-32.71%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$13.39 R$67.9

104.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$19.03 R$96.6

59.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$22.86 R$116

128.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.61 R$110

22.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.22 R$31.55

-0.48%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$275 R$1,394

54.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,563 R$33.3K

63.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$49.37 R$251

18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$41.54 R$211

7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$76.7 R$389

34.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$63.5 R$322

71.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$310 R$1,572

227.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$219 R$1,110

184.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$590 R$2,994

259.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$425 R$2,155

188.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,525 R$7,737

148.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,002 R$5,086

110.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $310 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 $293 vs $176 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 89% 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 $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,167 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $310 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 $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $778 in Castanhal – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $778 in Castanhal versus $1,472 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 $778 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 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.