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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $768 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,219 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,671 in Castanhal.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Castanhal is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$5.46 R$27.14

143.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$26.84 R$133

100.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.14 R$30.50

53.42%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.73 R$8.60

107.51%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.08 R$5.34

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.65 R$3.24

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.76 R$8.76

84.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.66 R$13.23

74.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.92 R$4.59

78.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.44 R$7.14

84.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.13 R$5.59

73.45%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.95 R$9.67

30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.32 R$41.35

19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.54 R$17.61

137.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.10 R$35.26

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.04 R$10.16

40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.26 R$6.25

37.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.19 R$5.92

67.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.44 R$7.16

42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.15 R$5.72

79.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.11 R$5.52

105.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.69 R$3.42

110.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.63 R$3.12

73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.11 R$10.51

102.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.53 R$42.42

71.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.28 R$6.34

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.06 R$10.23

73.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.88 R$4.38

-56.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$38.11 R$189

-50.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.06 R$5.24

31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.71 R$3.51

-57.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$6.35 R$31.56

-14.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.07 R$5.32

25.23%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.1K R$104.9K

-10.69%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$27.6K R$137.3K

-16.03%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$60.7 R$301

-33.56%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$13.59 R$67.6

99.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$19.07 R$94.8

54.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$22.46 R$112

134.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$21.19 R$105

23.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.14 R$30.50

0.65%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$266 R$1,322

65.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,577 R$32.7K

62.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$48.69 R$242

17.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$42.48 R$211

6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$74.4 R$370

39.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$64.2 R$319

69.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$314 R$1,561

218.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$213 R$1,060

196.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$591 R$2,936

262.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$435 R$2,161

188.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,632 R$8,111

129.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,278 R$6,353

86.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $314 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $27 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $173 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 91% 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 $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,152 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $314 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 $1,466 per month in Mexico City versus $768 in Castanhal – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $768 in Castanhal versus $1,466 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 $768 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 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.