Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $827 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$827

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Contenda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Contenda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $827 in Contenda, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Contenda $827

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $1,271 in Contenda, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Contenda $1,271

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,714 in Contenda, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Contenda $1,714

Mexico City costs about 102% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Contenda is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$3.83 R$20.91

176.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$964

$10.98 R$60.0

373.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$199

$7.16 R$39.12

49.86%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.5

$2.32 R$12.66

63.79%

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

$1.61 MX$29.93

$1.25 R$6.83

28.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.49

$0.58 R$3.20

108.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.0

$1.88 R$10.26

69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$1.90 R$10.36

186.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.88

$0.99 R$5.43

73.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.1

$1.52 R$8.32

95.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.74

$1.19 R$6.48

62.18%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.5

$2.39 R$13.04

15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$9.16 R$50.0

27.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$3.69 R$20.14

156.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$285

$7.50 R$40.98

104.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.6

$2.28 R$12.46

35.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.39

$1.15 R$6.29

70.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.78

$1.10 R$6.01

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.34

$1.28 R$6.97

82.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.56

$0.96 R$5.23

110.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.86

$0.86 R$4.69

111.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.66

$0.71 R$3.89

116.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.35

$0.71 R$3.88

84.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.3

$2.83 R$15.44

89.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$300

$3.80 R$20.75

326.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.36

$1.37 R$7.51

43.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.8

$1.89 R$10.31

130.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.66

$0.98 R$5.37

-69.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$362

$42.51 R$232

-54.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.58

$1.13 R$6.18

69.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.77

$0.90 R$4.92

-47.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$100

$9.42 R$51.5

-42.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.53

$1.14 R$6.22

29.82%

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

$21.4K MX$396.6K

$16.5K R$90.3K

29.33%

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

$23.8K MX$440.9K

$20.5K R$111.9K

16.03%

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

$62.0 MX$1,151

$78.4 R$428

-20.88%

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

$28.47 MX$528

$7.59 R$41.46

275.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$633

$18.25 R$99.7

86.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,084

$24.15 R$132

141.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$455

$25.75 R$141

-4.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$122

$7.59 R$41.45

-13.18%

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

$434 MX$8,059

$258 R$1,407

68.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$260.5K

$10.3K R$56.2K

36.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,269

$60.5 R$331

12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,017

$67.3 R$368

-18.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,057

$103 R$561

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,153

$63.7 R$348

82.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$342 R$1,869

244.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$228 R$1,243

238.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.7K

$627 R$3,425

310.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.3K

$450 R$2,460

215.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.5K

$1,561 R$8,530

129.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.3K

$1,141 R$6,232

80.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.61

6.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Contenda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Contenda

$228 27.5% 70.5% $543

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Contenda

$171 20.7% 47.1% $152

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Contenda

$100 12.1% 49.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Contenda

$132 16% 15.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Contenda

$104 12.6% 16.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Contenda

$39 4.8% 45% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Contenda

$52 6.3% 108% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $342 in Contenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $11 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $171 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

19,128

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.85 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Contenda 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Contenda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 102% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $1,241 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Mexico City and $258 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,674 in Mexico City and $827 in Contenda. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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