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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $696 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $1,102 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $1,508 in Contagem, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 113% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Contagem is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$4.40 R$21.95

195.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$17.98 R$89.7

195.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.82 R$29.05

67.01%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.22 R$6.11

207.38%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.94 R$4.67

67.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.43 R$2.14

162.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.16 R$5.77

174.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.32 R$11.56

100.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.87 R$4.32

86.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.46 R$7.28

85.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.54 R$7.68

22.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.57 R$7.81

59.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.22 R$41.03

22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.32 R$16.59

149.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$5.20 R$25.95

129.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.78 R$8.86

60.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.32 R$6.60

32.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$0.93 R$4.62

123.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.36 R$6.80

44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.01 R$5.04

113.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.87 R$4.32

150.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.66 R$3.28

110.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.64 R$3.21

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.22 R$11.06

89.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.93 R$39.57

79.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.08 R$5.40

62.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.22 R$11.10

65.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.39 R$6.91

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$73.6 R$367

-74.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.92 R$4.60

51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.00 R$5.00

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.12 R$40.53

-33.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.06 R$5.28

27.36%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$24.8K R$123.8K

-23.91%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$28.6K R$142.8K

-19.09%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$66.4 R$331

-38.52%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$14.06 R$70.2

95.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$16.24 R$81.0

87.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$23.92 R$119

123.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.72 R$108

21.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.44 R$32.12

-2.64%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$137 R$685

217.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,641 R$33.1K

57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$52.3 R$261

8.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$37.50 R$187

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$71.3 R$356

44.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$65.0 R$325

65.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$201 R$1,002

397.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$122 R$609

408.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$436 R$2,177

389.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$269 R$1,344

358.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,990 R$9,929

94.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$988 R$4,929

136.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$264 R$1,317

304.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.83

4.71%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Contagem: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $201 in Contagem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City versus $18.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $161 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 113%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $1,043 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 294% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $436 per month in Mexico City and $137 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $696, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Contagem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.