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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $886 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,399 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,913 in Manaus.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than in Manaus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Manaus is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$5.70 R$29.39

109.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$27.35 R$141

88.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.69 R$34.46

70.55%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.28 R$11.73

75.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.05 R$5.43

58.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.78 R$4.04

70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.68 R$13.78

29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$5.28 R$27.21

11.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.38 R$7.12

36.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.55 R$7.98

109.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.26 R$6.49

71.43%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.59 R$13.32

11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.71 R$50.0

32.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.81 R$19.65

163.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.03 R$36.23

125.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.33 R$12.00

41.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.63 R$8.40

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.42 R$7.31

54.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.97 R$10.14

19.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.21 R$6.24

69.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.20 R$6.18

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.74 R$3.80

117.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.63 R$3.25

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.61 R$18.61

51.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.78 R$45.22

101.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.41 R$7.27

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.63 R$8.40

187.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.87 R$4.50

-60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$38.18 R$197

-45.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.95 R$4.88

121.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.84 R$4.34

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$9.58 R$49.37

-39.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.32 R$6.81

21.97%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$23.2K R$119.5K

-1.50%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$32.0K R$164.8K

-16.36%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$115 R$591

-43.21%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$15.37 R$79.2

95.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$24.52 R$126

51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$25.29 R$130

136.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$24.22 R$125

9.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.20 R$31.97

13.55%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$219 R$1,127

112.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,047 R$26.0K

162.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$49.48 R$255

53.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$31.09 R$160

79.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$58.4 R$301

91.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$69.0 R$356

74.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$620 R$3,196

77.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$210 R$1,081

243.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$924 R$4,762

173.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$477 R$2,459

171.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,700 R$8,756

134.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,293 R$6,662

61.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$517 R$2,663

100.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.33

9.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manaus: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $620 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 101% 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 $27.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $195 per month, with Manaus 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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $620 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $886 in Manaus versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus 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 Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.