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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $847 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,357 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,866 in Dourados.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 96% more expensive than in Dourados, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Dourados is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$204

$5.82 R$29.92

104.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$884

$29.32 R$151

75.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$7.96 R$40.93

43.34%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.5

$1.96 R$10.10

103.57%

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

$1.66 MX$28.43

$1.12 R$5.74

48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.73

$0.85 R$4.37

56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.5

$2.16 R$11.12

60.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.24 R$16.65

82.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.15

$1.16 R$5.96

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.8

$1.48 R$7.62

119.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.03

$1.27 R$6.54

70.08%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.63

$1.85 R$9.49

56.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$220

$9.32 R$47.94

37.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$172

$4.41 R$22.68

127.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$7.24 R$37.25

119.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.5

$2.17 R$11.18

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.38

$1.36 R$7.00

47.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.69

$1.10 R$5.65

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.37

$1.72 R$8.84

37.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.20

$1.20 R$6.18

70.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.58

$1.04 R$5.34

82.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.50

$0.73 R$3.75

120.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.93

$0.89 R$4.57

57.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.6

$2.23 R$11.46

144.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$302

$8.16 R$41.99

116.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.21

$1.26 R$6.48

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.3

$1.79 R$9.22

161.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.80

$0.88 R$4.53

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$45.54 R$234

-54.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.93

$1.32 R$6.80

59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.58

$0.75 R$3.88

-25.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.6

$7.20 R$37.03

-19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.51

$1.21 R$6.21

33.06%

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

$22.8K MX$391.4K

$22.6K R$116.4K

0.92%

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

$26.8K MX$458.3K

$35.8K R$184.3K

-25.34%

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

$65.2 MX$1,117

$70.1 R$361

-7.07%

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

$30.09 MX$516

$11.71 R$60.2

156.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$637

$23.54 R$121

57.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,024

$25.39 R$131

135.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$455

$28.07 R$144

-5.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.65 R$34.22

5.86%

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

$465 MX$7,961

$275 R$1,414

69.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.4K

$6,711 R$34.5K

97.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,300

$51.4 R$264

47.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$959

$44.83 R$231

24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,917

$86.9 R$447

28.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,065

$66.6 R$342

81.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$351 R$1,808

213.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.3K

$245 R$1,258

194.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.3K

$632 R$3,248

300.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$388 R$1,995

233.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.4K

$1,447 R$7,442

175.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.8K

$1,165 R$5,992

79.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.06

2.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Dourados: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $351 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $29.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $188 per month, with Dourados 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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,270 in Dourados to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $351 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $847 in Dourados versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.