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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $675 in Ilheus, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $1,100 in Ilheus, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $1,525 in Ilheus, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 120% more than Ilheus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 11% above the global median, while Ilheus is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.90 R$19.45

232.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$27.45 R$137

93.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.32 R$31.55

53.80%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.77 R$8.85

111.86%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.12 R$5.60

40.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.67 R$3.33

68.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.82 R$9.09

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.65 R$13.23

75.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.01 R$5.06

60.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.46 R$7.29

85.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.13 R$5.64

66.37%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.02 R$10.06

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$17.42 R$86.9

-42.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.56 R$17.77

132.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.40 R$36.92

61.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.08 R$10.37

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.31 R$6.52

33.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.14 R$5.71

82.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.44 R$7.18

36.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.19 R$5.96

81.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.05 R$5.26

107.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.70 R$3.51

98.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.67 R$3.33

67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.07 R$10.33

102.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.47 R$37.30

90.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.25 R$6.26

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.09 R$10.42

76.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.87 R$4.32

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.55 R$192

-51.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.07 R$5.33

29.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.75 R$3.75

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.45 R$32.21

-15.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.99 R$4.95

36.36%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$20.9K R$104.5K

-9.84%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.4K R$136.9K

-15.61%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$59.9 R$299

-31.82%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.29 R$66.3

106.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.01 R$94.8

59.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.62 R$113

136.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.30 R$106

23.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.21 R$31.01

0.97%

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

$6,575 R$32.8K

59.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$48.57 R$242

16.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$42.12 R$210

6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$76.7 R$383

34.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$64.6 R$322

67.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$167 R$831

500.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$115 R$574

439.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$312 R$1,557

585.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$222 R$1,106

457.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,676 R$8,362

130.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,178 R$5,876

98.05%

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 Ilheus: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $167 in Ilheus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City versus $27.00 in Ilheus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $202 – making Ilheus 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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City, $675 in Ilheus – roughly 120% apart. Mexico City costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $1,013 in Ilheus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 42% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City and $27.00 in Ilheus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilheus, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Ilheus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $675 in Ilheus to $1,484 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ilheus. 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.