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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $861 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,437 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,012 in Macaé.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Macaé is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$5.32 R$27.11

127.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$29.32 R$150

78.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$6.82 R$34.77

59.82%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$1.65 R$8.41

145.45%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.29 R$6.56

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.56 R$2.84

146.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$1.15 R$5.85

201.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$2.78 R$14.15

108.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$0.94 R$4.78

96.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.51 R$7.71

113.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.31 R$6.68

59.54%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$1.87 R$9.53

55.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$8.71 R$44.41

43.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.30 R$16.84

206.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.00 R$45.89

76.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.79 R$9.14

84.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.15 R$5.89

85.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$0.94 R$4.77

132.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.23 R$6.25

99.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$0.66 R$3.37

231.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$0.77 R$3.92

146.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.52 R$2.63

211.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.50 R$2.57

170.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$1.52 R$7.77

257.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.86 R$29.89

200.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$0.99 R$5.03

109.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.23 R$6.30

286.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.50 R$7.66

-77.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$79.1 R$404

-72.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.33 R$6.77

53.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.71 R$3.65

-18.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$7.95 R$40.54

-24.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.21 R$6.18

33.88%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$20.6K R$105.1K

10.70%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$30.2K R$153.9K

-11.62%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$97.1 R$495

-32.83%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$9.78 R$49.90

205.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$18.75 R$95.6

94.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$38.63 R$197

57.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$29.33 R$150

-8.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.55 R$33.39

4.58%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$632 R$3,221

-28.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$6,807 R$34.7K

96.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$61.9 R$316

21.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$31.21 R$159

77.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$64.1 R$327

77.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$45.46 R$232

169.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$361 R$1,839

214.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$236 R$1,203

201.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$869 R$4,434

195.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$647 R$3,302

102.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,227 R$6,260

225.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$776 R$3,955

170.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$780 R$3,976

34.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.67

5.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Macaé: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $361 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $29.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $163 per month, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Macaé differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $861 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $361 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,646 per month in Mexico City versus $861 in Macaé – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $861 in Macaé versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.