Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Madeira

For one person, living costs are similar in Mexico City and in Madeira: $1,608 and $1,599 a month, rent and utilities included.

Mexico City, Mexico
Madeira, Portugal
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Madeira
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,599 in Madeira.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Madeira $1,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,361 in Madeira.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Madeira $2,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $3,124 in Madeira.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Madeira $3,124

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than in Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Madeira 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$198
$11.47 €10.30
-7.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$901
$46.16 €41.47
4.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$193
$9.23 €8.29
12.13%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$68.8
$2.06 €1.85
79.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.07
$1.86 €1.67
-10.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.59
$1.40 €1.26
-9.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.5
$2.26 €2.03
41.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$98.9
$3.55 €3.19
49.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.15
$1.10 €0.99
56.36%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$56.7
$1.52 €1.37
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$1.61 €1.45
20.50%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$53.8
$3.02 €2.71
-4.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$205
$11.20 €10.06
-2.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$172
$7.70 €6.92
20.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$282
$14.02 €12.60
7.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$56.8
$2.36 €2.12
29.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.19
$1.41 €1.27
37.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.75
$1.85 €1.67
9.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.15
$2.50 €2.25
-7.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$37.94
$1.52 €1.37
34.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.55
$1.94 €1.74
-7.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.58
$1.56 €1.40
-5.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.63
$0.83 €0.75
53.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$98.9
$6.14 €5.52
-13.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$300
$5.34 €4.80
201.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$36.97
$1.24 €1.12
59.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.3
$2.41 €2.16
76.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.69
$2.27 €2.04
-86.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$368
$42.12 €37.83
-53.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.25
$4.13 €3.71
-55.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.94
$0.81 €0.73
-34.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$98.7
$17.47 €15.69
-69.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.16
$1.91 €1.72
-20.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$405.5K
$34.7K €31.2K
-37.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$447.1K
$39.2K €35.2K
-38.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,174
$137 €123
-54.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$511
$21.23 €19.07
29.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$665
$41.41 €37.19
-13.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,099
$44.27 €39.77
33.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$441
$17.51 €15.73
35.01%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$119
$8.15 €7.32
-21.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,045
$476 €428
-9.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$212.9K
$8,168 €7,337
39.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,272
$72.5 €65.1
-5.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$990
$38.12 €34.24
39.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,009
$92.4 €83.0
16.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,186
$93.9 €84.4
24.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.8K
$910 €817
22.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.2K
$725 €651
-1.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.2K
$1,465 €1,316
76.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.2K
$1,179 €1,059
19.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$67.7K
$3,005 €2,700
20.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$39.8K
$2,314 €2,079
-7.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Madeira
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
5.01
126.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Madeira: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Madeira
$725 2% $14
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Madeira
$246 23.2% $74
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Madeira
$176 11.6% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Madeira
$134 14.3% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Madeira
$200 58.7% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Madeira
$61 15.6% $11
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Madeira
$59 133% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $910 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $46 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $246 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇵🇹 Madeira
🕒 Local time
11:48 11:48 AM
17:48 5:48 PM
6 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
154
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Madeira 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Madeira

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Madeira cheaper than Mexico City?
Madeira is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $2,399 in Madeira 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.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Madeira?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $910 in Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Madeira?
All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,599 in Madeira – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 53% less than in Madeira. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Is $1,500 enough to cover costs in Mexico City or in Madeira?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Madeira is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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