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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $781 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,228 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,676 in Dourados.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Dourados, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Dourados is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.44 R$27.14

138.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$27.31 R$136

94.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.21 R$30.99

56.52%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.75 R$8.73

114.29%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.13 R$5.64

38.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.66 R$3.27

71.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.82 R$9.06

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.69 R$13.41

73.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.93 R$4.62

74.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.46 R$7.29

85.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.14 R$5.71

64.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.05 R$10.21

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.19 R$40.85

23.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.60 R$17.97

130.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.23 R$36.10

65.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.16 R$10.78

32.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.25 R$6.22

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.18 R$5.91

76.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.45 R$7.26

35.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.15 R$5.74

87.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.09 R$5.45

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.75 R$3.76

85.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.67 R$3.35

67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.15 R$10.73

95.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.15 R$40.69

74.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.21 R$6.02

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.06 R$10.28

78.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.93 R$4.64

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.73 R$193

-51.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.11 R$5.55

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.72 R$3.57

-58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.51 R$32.47

-16.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.04 R$5.18

29.81%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.0K R$105.0K

-10.28%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.6K R$138.0K

-16.26%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$61.2 R$305

-33.25%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.72 R$68.5

100.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$18.84 R$94.0

61.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.30 R$111

139.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.27 R$106

23.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.14 R$30.65

2.12%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$269 R$1,344

61.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,472 R$32.3K

61.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$48.65 R$243

16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$41.50 R$207

7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$76.8 R$383

33.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$64.5 R$322

67.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$318 R$1,587

214.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$220 R$1,096

182.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$575 R$2,871

271.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$422 R$2,108

192.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,427 R$7,120

170.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,062 R$5,299

119.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dourados: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $318 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $174 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 90% 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 $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,171 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $318 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% 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 $27.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Dourados versus $1,484 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 $781 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.