Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Itajai

For one person, living is cheaper in Itajai: $937 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Itajai
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Itajai Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Itajai

🇧🇷 Brazil

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Itajai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $937 in Itajai, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Itajai $937

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,142 in Itajai, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Itajai $1,142

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,347 in Itajai, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Itajai $1,347

Mexico City costs about 72% more than Itajai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Itajai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$5.57 R$29.97

90.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$36.95 R$199

30.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$8.17 R$43.99

26.68%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.26 R$12.18

63.27%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.07 R$5.76

56.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.84 R$4.51

51.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$2.54 R$13.69

25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.80 R$15.09

89.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$0.93 R$5.03

84.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.51 R$8.12

101.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.89 R$4.80

117.98%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.94 R$10.42

48.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$9.10 R$48.99

20.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$4.25 R$22.86

117.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.34 R$39.53

106.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$1.70 R$9.13

79.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.93 R$5.02

108.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$0.98 R$5.29

107.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.26 R$6.80

83.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$0.75 R$4.02

172.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$0.58 R$3.10

210.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.74 R$4.00

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.76 R$4.09

67.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.76 R$14.86

92.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$6.68 R$35.97

141.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.76 R$4.11

160.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$1.78 R$9.56

138.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.82 R$4.39

-62.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.23 R$6.60

49.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.73 R$3.91

-27.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$5.59 R$30.06

-5.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.24 R$6.69

21.77%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$22.2K R$119.7K

-2.18%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$32.0K R$172.3K

-25.06%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$98.6 R$531

-36.14%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$10.42 R$56.1

162.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$21.39 R$115

66.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$25.46 R$137

131.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$7.28 R$39.16

-12.09%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$257 R$1,382

68.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$4,861 R$26.2K

134.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$68.6 R$369

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$66.9 R$360

-20.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$88.2 R$475

22.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$76.4 R$411

53.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$470 R$2,530

136.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$334 R$1,797

112.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$1,295 R$6,970

99.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$2,127 R$11.4K

70.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$591 R$3,180

60.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.68

6.27%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Itajai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Itajai

$334 35.7% 53% $377

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Itajai

$167 17.8% 47.8% $153

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Itajai

$122 13.1% 38.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Itajai

$135 14.4% 13.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Itajai

$130 13.9% 3.5% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Itajai

$40 4.3% 44.2% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Itajai

$8.1 * 0.9% 68.1% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $470 in Itajai. 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 60% 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $37 in Itajai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $167 – making Itajai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Itajai

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

10:55 10:55 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

264,054

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Itajai 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Itajai

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 Itajai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $937 in Itajai – Itajai comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,405 in Itajai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itajai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $470 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $937 in Itajai. That makes Itajai about 42% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $257 in Itajai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Itajai, where all-in costs run around $937, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Itajai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Itajai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Itajai. 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.