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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $669 in Criciuma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,005 in Criciuma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,341 in Criciuma.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 118% more expensive than in Criciuma, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Criciuma is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$5.05 R$25.73

158.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$21.31 R$109

152.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.16 R$26.26

87.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.21 R$6.16

209.09%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.89 R$4.53

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.57 R$2.89

103.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.65 R$8.38

95.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.49 R$7.57

218.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.88 R$4.48

87.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.24 R$6.30

121.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.98 R$5.00

90.82%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.83 R$9.34

36.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.74 R$39.43

31.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.16 R$16.10

161.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.59 R$33.55

79.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.86 R$9.45

61.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.83 R$4.25

118.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.92 R$4.68

117.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.27 R$6.49

57.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.00 R$5.09

108.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.99 R$5.02

129.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.65 R$3.33

124.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.62 R$3.17

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.49 R$12.69

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$4.88 R$24.82

248.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.03 R$5.24

67.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.31 R$6.66

173.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.93 R$4.72

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$32.24 R$164

-42.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.41 R$2.08

224.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.06 R$5.39

-73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.13 R$10.86

146.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.04 R$5.30

28.85%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.8K R$100.7K

-1.91%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$25.4K R$129.5K

-6.29%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$59.3 R$302

-31.41%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$13.86 R$70.6

93.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$20.47 R$104

49.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$24.87 R$127

112.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$21.28 R$108

25.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.79 R$39.65

-16.43%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$128 R$654

233.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,502 R$7,648

598.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$23.97 R$122

138.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$30.11 R$153

51.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$68.8 R$350

51.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$31.40 R$160

243.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$218 R$1,111

359.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$195 R$991

219.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$301 R$1,532

600.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$248 R$1,260

392.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,185 R$6,032

227.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$626 R$3,186

224.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$310 R$1,576

235.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.4

35.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Criciuma: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $218 in Criciuma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 235% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Criciuma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $148 per month, with Criciuma 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 Criciuma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 235% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $218 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $128 in Criciuma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $669 in Criciuma versus $1,456 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 118% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.