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 $1,660 per month in Mexico City vs $754 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Mexico City vs $1,224 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,470 per month in Mexico City vs $1,694 in Contagem, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 120% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 21% above the global median, while Contagem is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.79 R$29.76

105.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$29.24 R$150

76.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.02 R$36.12

62.54%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.72 R$8.87

131.98%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.31 R$6.74

26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.59 R$3.04

125.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.24 R$6.40

179.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.50 R$12.87

136.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$0.96 R$4.95

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.73 R$8.91

87.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.35 R$6.94

60.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$1.97 R$10.14

47.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.74 R$50.1

32.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.38 R$17.40

197.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.17 R$36.87

121.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.93 R$9.91

70.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.13 R$5.79

77.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.93 R$4.79

136.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.54 R$7.94

53.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.07 R$5.52

91.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$0.95 R$4.86

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.81 R$4.19

98.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.76 R$3.90

84.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$1.52 R$7.82

259.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.98 R$30.72

195.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$0.93 R$4.81

121.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.33 R$6.85

251.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.44 R$7.39

-76.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$77.6 R$399

-73.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.11 R$5.70

89.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.74 R$3.81

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.39 R$32.86

-9.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.28 R$6.60

25.78%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$23.2K R$119.5K

-1.74%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$31.1K R$160.1K

-14.10%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$72.7 R$374

-10.36%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$9.46 R$48.64

218.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$18.85 R$96.9

97.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$25.74 R$132

132.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$22.93 R$118

15.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.80 R$34.95

3.53%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$143 R$736

224.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$2,521 R$13.0K

426.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$59.6 R$306

27.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$46.58 R$240

20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$64.6 R$332

73.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$46.45 R$239

159.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$218 R$1,120

406.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$150 R$769

381.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$464 R$2,387

445.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$321 R$1,651

302.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,951 R$10.0K

104.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$974 R$5,008

114.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$250 R$1,288

314.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.67

5.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Contagem: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,103 in Mexico City versus $218 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 314% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City versus $29.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $172 – 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 120%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,489 per month in Mexico City and $1,131 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 273% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $465 per month in Mexico City and $143 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 $754, than in Mexico City at $1,660. 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.