Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Manaus: $931 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.

Mexico City, Mexico
Manaus, Brazil
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Manaus
🇧🇷 Brazil
$931
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $931 in Manaus.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Manaus $931

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,368 in Manaus.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Manaus $1,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,806 in Manaus.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Manaus $1,806

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than in Manaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Manaus is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$200
$5.74 R$30.91
85.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$909
$25.62 R$138
88.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$6.47 R$34.83
59.97%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.4
$2.19 R$11.81
68.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.32
$0.99 R$5.33
68.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.78
$0.73 R$3.94
73.97%
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
$5.05 R$27.16
5.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.41
$1.32 R$7.09
30.30%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$1.54 R$8.29
97.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$1.14 R$6.11
70.18%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.3
$2.46 R$13.25
17.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$9.14 R$49.19
20.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$3.82 R$20.53
142.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$6.70 R$36.04
125.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.3
$2.23 R$12.02
36.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.48
$1.54 R$8.27
25.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.06
$1.38 R$7.42
47.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.50
$1.84 R$9.89
25.54%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.25
$1.12 R$6.05
82.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.83
$1.15 R$6.19
56.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.80
$0.75 R$4.06
97.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.82
$0.62 R$3.36
104.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.7
$3.36 R$18.06
57.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$303
$8.46 R$45.54
90.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.27
$1.41 R$7.61
40.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.9
$1.56 R$8.40
172.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$0.88 R$4.76
-64.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$36.80 R$198
-46.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.53
$0.92 R$4.94
100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.03
$0.87 R$4.66
-39.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.5
$8.99 R$48.39
-41.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.39
$1.23 R$6.63
22.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.8K
$21.6K R$116.4K
0.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.8K
$32.4K R$174.3K
-25.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,184
$112 R$601
-43.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$515
$14.44 R$77.7
89.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$23.86 R$128
49.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,108
$25.68 R$138
129.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$23.54 R$127
0.42%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$6.41 R$34.47
-0.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,111
$212 R$1,140
103.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.7K
$4,775 R$25.7K
139.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,282
$47.41 R$255
43.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$999
$29.69 R$160
78.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,026
$56.3 R$303
91.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,204
$63.9 R$344
83.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$747 R$4,021
49.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.4K
$299 R$1,607
137.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$1,121 R$6,035
130.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$451 R$2,428
211.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$1,543 R$8,302
135.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$1,257 R$6,767
69.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Manaus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$491 R$2,641
92.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
10.33
9.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manaus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Manaus
$299 58% $412
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Manaus
$188 41.2% $132
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Manaus
$121 38.9% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Manaus
$89 43% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Manaus
$150 19% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Manaus
$38 46.3% $33
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Manaus
$46 79% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $747 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 93% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $26 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $188 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇧🇷 Manaus
🕒 Local time
02:06 2:06 AM
04:06 4:06 AM
2 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
2,063,689
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Manaus 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Manaus

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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manaus cheaper than Mexico City?
Manaus is about 42% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mexico City or Manaus?
Average pay runs 93% 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.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Manaus?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $747 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Manaus?
Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Manaus?
Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $26 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Manaus?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Manaus wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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