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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $822 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,245 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,668 in Cuiaba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than in Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cuiaba is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.54 R$18.01

269.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$17.72 R$90.2

203.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.29 R$32.01

53.90%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.53 R$7.81

144.44%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.93 R$4.74

74.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.62 R$3.15

87.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.23 R$6.26

162.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.14 R$10.91

121.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.02 R$5.19

61.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.52 R$7.74

80.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.73 R$8.80

8.09%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.23 R$16.47

-22.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.28 R$57.4

-9.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.29 R$21.85

92.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.18 R$51.8

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.07 R$10.56

45.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.77 R$9.03

2.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.75 R$8.91

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.36 R$12.00

-15.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.07 R$10.53

0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.54 R$7.83

47.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.71 R$3.60

105.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.24 R$6.31

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.17 R$11.03

100.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.92 R$50.5

71.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.76 R$8.98

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.19 R$11.17

63.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.93 R$4.75

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$37.98 R$193

-50.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.06 R$5.40

25.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.72 R$3.67

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$6.34 R$32.28

-17.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.06 R$5.39

26.42%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$20.8K R$106.1K

-6.85%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$27.8K R$141.8K

-14.42%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$61.1 R$311

-33.39%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$18.59 R$94.6

44.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$23.88 R$122

27.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$22.89 R$117

130.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$19.68 R$100

35.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.56 R$23.22

42.76%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$246 R$1,255

73.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,128 R$26.1K

104.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$50.0 R$255

14.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$44.17 R$225

3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$136 R$692

-23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$61.9 R$315

74.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$279 R$1,420

259.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$190 R$968

227.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$566 R$2,882

272.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$313 R$1,591

289.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,278 R$6,509

203.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$765 R$3,897

165.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$423 R$2,152

145.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

18.5

-38.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $279 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 146% 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 $18.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $231 per month, with Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 146% 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 $279 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $822 in Cuiaba – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $822 in Cuiaba versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $822 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.