Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Maceio - Alagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Maceio - Alagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $805 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,229 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Maceio - Alagoas is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$5.00 R$25.45

159.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$21.80 R$111

140.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$5.42 R$27.59

78.78%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.86 R$9.44

101.61%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$1.00 R$5.11

56.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.46 R$2.34

152.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.47 R$7.50

120.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.55 R$12.97

92.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.02 R$5.21

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.26 R$6.43

111.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$0.92 R$4.68

105.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$2.18 R$11.08

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$6.83 R$34.73

46.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$3.41 R$17.33

150.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$7.02 R$35.69

70.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.44 R$12.42

21.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.09 R$5.53

64.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.22 R$6.22

63.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.29 R$6.57

51.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.36 R$6.92

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.12 R$5.70

102.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.57 R$2.92

145.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.61 R$3.08

81.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$1.82 R$9.25

130.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$6.98 R$35.52

136.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.38 R$7.03

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.30 R$6.61

176.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.74 R$3.76

-47.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$38.79 R$197

-50.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.37 R$1.89

272.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.36 R$1.81

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$6.23 R$31.71

-13.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.08 R$5.50

19.44%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$25.2K R$128.3K

-25.07%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$29.8K R$151.4K

-20.03%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$73.3 R$373

-45.62%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$17.42 R$88.6

59.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$15.43 R$78.5

92.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$22.10 R$112

135.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$21.44 R$109

22.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$5.43 R$27.62

15.47%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$231 R$1,177

86.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$4,927 R$25.1K

113.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$50.0 R$254

14.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$68.6 R$349

-33.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$91.6 R$466

11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$72.6 R$369

49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$252 R$1,283

294.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$257 R$1,306

140.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$541 R$2,751

285.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$413 R$2,099

204.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$1,484 R$7,551

165.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$702 R$3,569

197.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$591 R$3,007

91.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.5

19.37%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $252 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 91% 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 $22.00 in Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $163 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maceio - Alagoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 91% more on average, 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $252 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $805 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.