Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Montes Claros Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Montes Claros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $820 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,327 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,833 in Montes Claros.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Montes Claros, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Montes Claros is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.45 R$17.75

245.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$31.28 R$161

64.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.03 R$36.13

62.30%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.90 R$9.78

110.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.24 R$6.36

33.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.79 R$4.04

68.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.43 R$7.38

142.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.00 R$15.42

96.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.07 R$5.51

75.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.67 R$8.59

94.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.26 R$6.46

71.43%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.19 R$11.28

32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.52 R$43.80

50.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.09 R$21.02

145.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$8.25 R$42.40

92.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.85 R$9.50

77.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.28 R$6.56

57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.07 R$5.49

105.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.42 R$7.28

66.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.03 R$5.30

99.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.07 R$5.51

77.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.81 R$4.15

98.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.69 R$3.53

102.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.38 R$12.21

129.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.56 R$38.86

133.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.41 R$7.27

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.31 R$11.86

102.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.76 R$3.89

-55.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$46.79 R$241

-55.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.23 R$6.35

70.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.87 R$4.46

-35.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$8.84 R$45.45

-34.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.05 R$5.41

53.33%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$23.6K R$121.3K

-3.19%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$32.2K R$165.7K

-16.98%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$67.3 R$346

-3.19%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$11.99 R$61.7

150.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$19.00 R$97.7

95.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$25.85 R$133

131.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$28.96 R$149

-8.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.12 R$41.78

-13.30%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$335 R$1,724

38.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,005 R$36.0K

89.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$53.1 R$273

42.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$47.92 R$246

16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$93.9 R$483

19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$69.8 R$359

72.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$344 R$1,767

220.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$232 R$1,194

210.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$653 R$3,356

287.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$450 R$2,315

187.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,455 R$7,481

174.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,215 R$6,248

71.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$387 R$1,988

168.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.06

2.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $344 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 168% 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 $31.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $184 per month, with Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Montes Claros differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $820 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 168% 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 $344 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 125% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $335 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $820 in Montes Claros versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.