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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $781 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,236 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,691 in Imbituba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Imbituba is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$5.26 R$26.93

149.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$27.51 R$141

94.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$6.31 R$32.31

47.86%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.77 R$9.08

109.04%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$1.13 R$5.76

41.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.67 R$3.41

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.76 R$8.99

78.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.68 R$13.73

80.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$0.94 R$4.83

75.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.50 R$7.66

80.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.13 R$5.80

69.03%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.00 R$10.26

29.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$8.19 R$41.90

19.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.62 R$18.51

132.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.45 R$38.14

60.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.07 R$10.61

42.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.25 R$6.37

39.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.15 R$5.87

77.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.45 R$7.40

42.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.14 R$5.83

88.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.11 R$5.67

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$0.70 R$3.56

98.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.67 R$3.41

67.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.19 R$11.22

92.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$9.71 R$49.71

80.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.23 R$6.28

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$1.97 R$10.08

84.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.94 R$4.80

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$37.84 R$194

-48.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.11 R$5.68

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.71 R$3.64

-60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$6.54 R$33.45

-19.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.05 R$5.36

29.52%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$20.9K R$107.2K

-8.81%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$27.2K R$139.3K

-13.26%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$60.1 R$308

-32.56%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$13.53 R$69.2

102.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$18.62 R$95.3

63.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$22.60 R$116

131.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$21.25 R$109

24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$6.15 R$31.48

0.65%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$271 R$1,385

57.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$6,383 R$32.7K

68.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$49.32 R$252

18.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$42.31 R$217

5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$74.6 R$382

38.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$65.5 R$335

65.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$310 R$1,585

227.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$219 R$1,123

183.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$581 R$2,974

264.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$429 R$2,194

185.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$1,633 R$8,355

132.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$1,268 R$6,490

66.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $310 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,172 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $310 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% 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 $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Imbituba versus $1,472 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.