Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ilheus

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilheus: $782 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Ilheus, Brazil
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Ilheus
🇧🇷 Brazil
$782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ilheus

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Ilheus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $782 in Ilheus, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Ilheus $782

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $1,268 in Ilheus, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Ilheus $1,268

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,754 in Ilheus, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Ilheus $1,754

Mexico City costs about 114% more than Ilheus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Ilheus is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$199
$3.91 R$21.48
170.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$978
$29.38 R$161
76.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$202
$7.24 R$39.75
48.20%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$71.4
$1.82 R$10.00
108.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.35
$1.23 R$6.75
30.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.81
$0.81 R$4.45
49.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.8
$2.26 R$12.40
40.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$102
$3.16 R$17.33
72.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$0.99 R$5.46
73.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.8
$1.51 R$8.30
96.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$36.24
$1.15 R$6.34
67.83%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$52.2
$2.16 R$11.86
28.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$220
$17.30 R$95.0
-32.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$178
$3.81 R$20.90
148.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$289
$7.37 R$40.46
108.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$58.4
$2.12 R$11.63
46.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.90
$1.26 R$6.90
55.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$37.30
$1.08 R$5.91
83.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.95
$1.41 R$7.72
65.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.08
$1.11 R$6.11
81.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.34
$1.04 R$5.70
75.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$29.06
$0.77 R$4.23
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.70
$0.74 R$4.06
77.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$101
$2.36 R$12.93
126.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$305
$7.04 R$38.63
129.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.87
$1.16 R$6.34
68.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.9
$1.84 R$10.12
136.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.74
$0.97 R$5.35
-69.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$367
$45.03 R$247
-56.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$36.08
$1.22 R$6.70
57.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.90
$0.81 R$4.42
-41.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$102
$7.01 R$38.45
-22.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.92
$1.07 R$5.86
38.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$402.2K
$18.9K R$103.8K
13.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$447.1K
$34.9K R$191.7K
-31.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,167
$72.3 R$397
-14.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$536
$11.46 R$62.9
148.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$642
$19.12 R$105
78.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,099
$20.38 R$112
186.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$461
$22.39 R$123
9.42%
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$124
$7.37 R$40.42
-10.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,172
$275 R$1,511
57.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$264.1K
$6,712 R$36.8K
109.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,286
$49.75 R$273
37.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,031
$39.59 R$217
38.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,086
$83.0 R$456
33.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,183
$65.7 R$361
76.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$22.2K
$204 R$1,118
478.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.5K
$180 R$990
327.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$48.4K
$522 R$2,864
392.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.7K
$394 R$2,160
260.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$67.5K
$1,502 R$8,241
138.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.8K
$1,297 R$7,118
59.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Ilheus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.9K
$560 R$3,071
79.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
11
3.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Ilheus
$180 76.6% $590
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Ilheus
$202 37.6% $122
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Ilheus
$101 49.8% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Ilheus
$107 32% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Ilheus
$103 17.4% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Ilheus
$35 50.9% $36
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Ilheus
$54 117% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $204 in Ilheus. 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 79% 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 $52 in Mexico City versus $29 in Ilheus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $202 – making Ilheus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇧🇷 Ilheus
🕒 Local time
05:16 5:16 AM
08:16 8:16 AM
3 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
178,649
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Ilheus 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Ilheus

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Ilheus compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City, $782 in Ilheus – Ilheus comes out roughly 53% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Ilheus?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $1,173 in Ilheus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Ilheus?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilheus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 60% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $29 in Ilheus. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ilheus, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Ilheus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Mexico City or Ilheus?
Families tend to lean toward Ilheus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Ilheus?
If budget matters most, go with Ilheus. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?