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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,070 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,600 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,129 in Cuiaba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Cuiaba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Cuiaba is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.98 R$25.51

143.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$34.25 R$176

57.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.69 R$39.43

44.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.75 R$8.96

134.29%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.29 R$6.60

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.65 R$3.32

113.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.97 R$10.10

69.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.56 R$13.14

129.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.15 R$5.90

60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.63 R$8.35

94.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.84 R$9.45

12.50%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.06 R$15.71

-4.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$17.14 R$87.9

-26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.56 R$23.40

121.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$11.04 R$56.6

45.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.34 R$11.98

44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.34 R$12.01

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.42 R$12.39

-12.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.89 R$14.82

-16.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.48 R$12.72

-14.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.09 R$10.71

-3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.55 R$7.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.45 R$7.41

-6.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.17 R$11.13

165.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.09 R$56.8

59.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.91 R$9.81

8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.13 R$16.06

47.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.03 R$5.26

-64.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$38.55 R$198

-45.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.22 R$6.23

27.05%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$30.0K R$153.7K

-23.70%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$33.8K R$173.4K

-19.47%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$170 R$873

-60.42%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$19.02 R$97.5

60.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$25.97 R$133

43.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$25.63 R$131

139.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$19.16 R$98.2

41.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.97 R$30.61

19.10%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$421 R$2,160

8.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$9,268 R$47.5K

47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$76.0 R$389

-2.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$49.17 R$252

15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$147 R$754

-21.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$69.4 R$356

75.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$329 R$1,687

248.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$224 R$1,150

216.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$645 R$3,305

299.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$355 R$1,822

264.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,301 R$6,670

207.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$789 R$4,045

169.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$384 R$1,967

181.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

16.1

-29.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $329 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 182% 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 $34.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $278 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 57% 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 182% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $329 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 $34.00 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 $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,070 in Cuiaba – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,070 in Cuiaba versus $1,677 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 $1,070 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 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.