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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $802 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $1,298 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $1,793 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 83% more than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Guarulhos is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.15 R$36.20

84.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$32.78 R$166

64.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.91 R$34.94

36.32%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.74 R$8.78

104.02%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.21 R$6.14

33.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.89 R$4.48

24.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.14 R$10.81

45.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.85 R$14.41

62.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.02 R$5.16

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.75 R$8.85

55.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.15 R$5.82

66.09%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.40 R$12.16

5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.33 R$52.2

-2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.01 R$20.28

101.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.37 R$42.36

38.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.14 R$10.85

38.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.65 R$8.37

9.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.39 R$7.01

44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.68 R$8.49

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.37 R$6.95

54.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.29 R$6.53

75.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.93 R$4.73

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.69 R$3.49

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.10 R$10.63

103.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.95 R$50.3

56.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.30 R$6.57

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.22 R$11.24

62.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.02 R$5.17

-62.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$38.02 R$192

-49.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.06 R$5.34

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.63 R$3.18

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$7.73 R$39.11

-29.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.06 R$5.36

22.64%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$21.5K R$108.6K

-12.98%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$28.1K R$142.2K

-17.67%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$52.3 R$265

-21.86%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$13.10 R$66.3

104.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$19.90 R$101

50.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$14.02 R$70.9

271.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$21.73 R$110

23.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.03 R$35.58

-10.38%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$333 R$1,683

31.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$8,817 R$44.6K

18.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$52.0 R$263

8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$42.18 R$213

5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$74.9 R$379

37.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$73.5 R$372

43.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$317 R$1,603

222.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$216 R$1,092

192.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$591 R$2,988

261.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$427 R$2,158

191.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,938 R$9,806

101.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,325 R$6,705

55.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$368 R$1,862

203.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.17

1.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $317 in Guarulhos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 203% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $33.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $202 – making Guarulhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 83% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,203 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $33.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,467 in Mexico City and $802 in Guarulhos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $802, than in Mexico City at $1,467. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $802 versus $1,467 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.