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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $901 in Niteroi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,487 in Niteroi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,073 in Niteroi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than Niteroi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Niteroi is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.25 R$31.65

110.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$30.53 R$154

76.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.59 R$33.34

42.94%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.17 R$10.98

63.59%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.27 R$6.45

27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.83 R$4.22

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.78 R$9.02

75.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.38 R$12.06

94.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.09 R$5.50

55.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.50 R$7.59

81.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.31 R$6.60

45.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.83 R$9.25

38.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.35 R$42.23

20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.73 R$18.88

116.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.64 R$38.65

52.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.38 R$12.03

24.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.49 R$7.52

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.57 R$7.94

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.59 R$8.05

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.29 R$6.51

64.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.95 R$4.79

138.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.62 R$3.13

125.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.69 R$3.48

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.91 R$14.73

46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.91 R$29.91

163.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.25 R$6.31

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.71 R$13.69

32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.95 R$4.80

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$44.70 R$226

-57.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.05 R$5.30

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.74 R$3.76

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$7.20 R$36.45

-24.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.03 R$5.22

26.21%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.8K R$69.7K

35.74%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.5K R$88.6K

32.09%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$96.3 R$487

-57.59%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$19.90 R$101

34.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$19.20 R$97.2

56.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$32.94 R$167

57.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$29.98 R$152

-10.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.74 R$49.30

-35.32%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$449 R$2,270

-2.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,555 R$33.2K

58.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$65.2 R$330

-13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$35.46 R$179

25.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$97.8 R$495

5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$78.3 R$396

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$281 R$1,423

263.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$256 R$1,296

146.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$553 R$2,800

286.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$565 R$2,858

120.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,436 R$7,267

171.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,496 R$7,568

38.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$921 R$4,660

21.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.6

-2.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Niteroi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $281 in Niteroi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Niteroi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $180 per month, with Niteroi 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 Niteroi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Niteroi differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $901 including rent). Niteroi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $281 in Niteroi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Niteroi runs roughly 133% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $449 in Niteroi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $901 in Niteroi versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Niteroi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Niteroi 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 Niteroi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.