Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Macaé

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $887 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
Learn more

Macaé Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $887 in Macaé.

Mexico City $1,548
Macaé $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,495 in Macaé.

Mexico City $2,436
Macaé $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,102 in Macaé.

Mexico City $3,323
Macaé $2,102

Living in Mexico City is roughly 75% more expensive than in Macaé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Macaé is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$5.43 R$27.54

102.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$29.78 R$151

63.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.91 R$35.00

57.74%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.72 R$8.73

113.95%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.39 R$7.04

17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.63 R$3.18

98.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.21 R$6.16

168.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.79 R$14.16

98.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.96 R$4.85

77.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.56 R$7.91

93.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.38 R$6.99

39.13%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.94 R$9.85

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$9.12 R$46.21

29.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.34 R$16.92

185.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$9.69 R$49.10

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.86 R$9.40

62.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.20 R$6.11

57.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.96 R$4.85

107.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.23 R$6.21

78.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.64 R$3.23

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.81 R$4.09

130.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.54 R$2.73

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.52 R$2.64

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$1.56 R$7.88

234.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$6.09 R$30.86

165.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$0.95 R$4.82

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.25 R$6.35

237.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.61 R$8.16

-78.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$83.9 R$425

-76.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.41 R$7.14

41.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.79 R$4.03

-34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$7.92 R$40.16

-32.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.29 R$6.53

17.83%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$21.5K R$109.0K

2.66%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$31.2K R$158.2K

-21.44%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$100.0 R$507

-38.90%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$10.21 R$51.7

179.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$18.76 R$95.1

83.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$39.82 R$202

41.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$34.04 R$173

-26.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$6.79 R$34.44

-1.91%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$648 R$3,283

-34.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$7,012 R$35.5K

65.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$63.1 R$320

7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$32.02 R$162

62.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$66.9 R$339

58.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$46.66 R$237

141.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$370 R$1,873

177.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$241 R$1,221

171.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$886 R$4,490

160.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$669 R$3,392

85.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,270 R$6,436

184.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$800 R$4,054

142.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$799 R$4,049

20.71%

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Macaé: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Macaé

$241 27.2% 63.2% $413

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Macaé

$169 19.1% 46.8% $149

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Macaé

$105 11.8% 48.7% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Macaé

$94 10.6% 38.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Macaé

$129 14.5% 3.9% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Macaé

$53 6% 23.4% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Macaé

$96 10.8% 274% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $370 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $169 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Macaé

🕒 Local time

10:57 10:57 AM

13:57 1:57 PM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

246,391

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Macaé 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Macaé

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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Macaé differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $887 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $370 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 $30.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $887 in Macaé – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Macaé versus $1,548 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 75% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.