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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $816 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,252 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,689 in Cuiaba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Cuiaba is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.54 R$17.93

272.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$17.96 R$90.9

200.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.08 R$30.77

54.93%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.62 R$8.18

119.14%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.96 R$4.87

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.61 R$3.10

81.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.24 R$6.30

151.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.19 R$11.06

111.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.06 R$5.38

60.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.51 R$7.65

80.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.67 R$8.43

14.37%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.20 R$16.20

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.24 R$56.9

-10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.45 R$22.49

81.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.13 R$51.3

14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.16 R$10.90

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.70 R$8.59

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.78 R$8.99

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.26 R$11.44

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.09 R$10.58

1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.59 R$8.06

42.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.68 R$3.46

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.27 R$6.44

-11.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.08 R$10.50

105.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$10.17 R$51.4

53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.76 R$8.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.24 R$11.32

60.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.88 R$4.46

-56.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$38.75 R$196

-50.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.05 R$5.32

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.74 R$3.77

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$6.22 R$31.49

-12.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.00 R$5.06

30.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$21.0K R$106.4K

-11.17%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.7K R$140.2K

-16.55%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$61.3 R$310

-33.33%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$18.30 R$92.6

46.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$23.56 R$119

27.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$22.56 R$114

130.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$19.91 R$101

34.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.37 R$22.09

44.16%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$248 R$1,256

75.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$5,108 R$25.8K

103.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$50.6 R$256

11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$45.86 R$232

-3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$137 R$695

-25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$62.7 R$317

68.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$285 R$1,444

257.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$192 R$973

228.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$564 R$2,854

278.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$316 R$1,599

293.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,279 R$6,469

205.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$800 R$4,047

158.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$426 R$2,155

161.81%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $285 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 162% 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 $288 vs $232 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 80% 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.

Mexico City pays 162% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $285 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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $816 in Cuiaba – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $816 in Cuiaba versus $1,467 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 $816 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 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.