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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $773 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,245 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,716 in Imbituba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Imbituba is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.32 R$26.93

143.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$26.91 R$136

95.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.46 R$32.70

45.98%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.78 R$9.03

100.56%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.11 R$5.63

45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.62 R$3.13

85.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.77 R$8.98

77.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.74 R$13.86

77.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.95 R$4.79

78.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.46 R$7.41

80.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.18 R$5.99

61.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.97 R$9.97

28.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.35 R$42.28

20.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.57 R$18.10

132.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.13 R$36.11

62.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.12 R$10.72

42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.30 R$6.56

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.14 R$5.75

79.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.51 R$7.63

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.14 R$5.75

80.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.11 R$5.61

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.74 R$3.75

89.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.65 R$3.31

72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.16 R$10.93

98.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.81 R$49.66

57.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.25 R$6.33

33.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.99 R$10.09

85.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.94 R$4.77

-59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$38.11 R$193

-49.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.10 R$5.56

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.77 R$3.88

-63.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.39 R$32.33

-15.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.04 R$5.27

23.08%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.1K R$106.8K

-9.99%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$27.2K R$137.8K

-13.78%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$61.2 R$310

-33.01%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$13.23 R$67.0

103.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$19.23 R$97.4

54.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$22.69 R$115

130.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$21.34 R$108

22.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.32 R$31.99

-2.22%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$275 R$1,391

55.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,570 R$33.3K

62.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$49.35 R$250

15.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$41.87 R$212

7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$76.0 R$385

37.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$65.7 R$333

61.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$320 R$1,619

210.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$217 R$1,096

186.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$571 R$2,891

272.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$436 R$2,210

187.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,688 R$8,548

131.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$973 R$4,928

115.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $320 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $178 per month, with Imbituba 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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,159 in Imbituba 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $320 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – 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 $773 in Imbituba versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.