Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Criciuma

For one person, living is cheaper in Criciuma: $769 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Criciuma
Learn more

Criciuma Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Criciuma

🇧🇷 Brazil

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Criciuma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $769 in Criciuma.

Mexico City $1,548
Criciuma $769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,146 in Criciuma.

Mexico City $2,436
Criciuma $1,146

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,523 in Criciuma.

Mexico City $3,323
Criciuma $1,523

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than in Criciuma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Criciuma is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$5.81 R$29.43

89.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$22.21 R$113

119.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.94 R$30.09

83.50%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.39 R$7.05

164.75%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.09 R$5.52

49.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.73 R$3.71

71.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.56 R$7.90

108.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.00 R$10.16

176.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.97 R$4.90

75.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.49 R$7.55

102.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.10 R$5.57

74.55%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.00 R$10.13

36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$8.31 R$42.12

41.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.51 R$17.78

171.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$8.71 R$44.15

65.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.04 R$10.34

48.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.22 R$6.17

54.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.99 R$5.04

101.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.57 R$7.98

39.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.21 R$6.12

58.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.09 R$5.51

71.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.82 R$4.15

75.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.69 R$3.52

84.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.46 R$12.46

112.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$4.73 R$23.97

241.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.12 R$5.68

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.40 R$7.10

201.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.00 R$5.08

-66.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$40.09 R$203

-50.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.50 R$2.54

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.79 R$4.01

-34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$2.34 R$11.84

128.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.31 R$6.63

16.03%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$23.4K R$118.8K

-5.82%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$30.9K R$156.9K

-20.79%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$72.1 R$365

-15.27%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$12.31 R$62.4

132.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$21.92 R$111

57.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$28.52 R$145

97.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$39.86 R$202

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$7.15 R$36.25

-6.85%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$170 R$861

151.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$2,980 R$15.1K

290.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$49.26 R$250

37.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$29.58 R$150

75.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$81.7 R$414

29.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$42.36 R$215

165.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$242 R$1,227

323.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$210 R$1,063

212.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$409 R$2,072

464.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$270 R$1,370

359.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,194 R$6,054

202.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$633 R$3,209

205.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$317 R$1,606

204.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.74

5.21%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Criciuma: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Criciuma

$210 27.3% 67.9% $445

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Criciuma

$170 22.1% 46.5% $148

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Criciuma

$100 13% 50.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Criciuma

$91 11.9% 40% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Criciuma

$106 13.8% 14.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Criciuma

$43 5.6% 38.6% $27

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Criciuma

$49 6.3% 89.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $242 in Criciuma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 204% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Criciuma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $170 per month, with Criciuma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Criciuma

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

09:33 9:33 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

214,493

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Criciuma 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Criciuma

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 Criciuma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 204% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $242 in Criciuma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 104% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $170 in Criciuma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $769 in Criciuma versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Criciuma is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.