Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $780 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,198 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,616 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 111% more expensive than in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$4.29 R$22.01

182.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$882

$15.50 R$79.5

236.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$6.92 R$35.45

57.51%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$1.73 R$8.85

134.10%

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

$1.72 MX$28.96

$1.33 R$6.81

29.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.26

$0.56 R$2.85

146.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$1.19 R$6.11

191.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$2.33 R$11.95

149.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$0.98 R$5.02

88.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$1.46 R$7.50

120.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.21

$1.34 R$6.85

55.97%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.12

$1.98 R$10.13

46.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$8.67 R$44.41

44.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.36 R$17.24

200.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$9.61 R$49.23

65.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.81 R$9.28

82.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.91

$1.15 R$5.88

85.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$0.95 R$4.89

130.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.33

$1.20 R$6.15

104.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.96

$0.62 R$3.20

253.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.16

$0.76 R$3.92

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$0.51 R$2.63

217.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.79

$0.75 R$3.85

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$1.56 R$8.02

248.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.89 R$30.19

198.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.92

$0.91 R$4.68

127.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$1.33 R$6.83

257.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.98 R$5.01

-65.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

$42.96 R$220

-49.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.45

$1.33 R$6.81

53.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.76

$0.76 R$3.89

-23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.83 R$19.64

55.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$1.25 R$6.40

29.60%

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

$22.8K MX$385.2K

$11.5K R$58.7K

99.13%

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

$26.7K MX$450.2K

$29.0K R$148.8K

-8.15%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$56.5 R$290

15.49%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$9.80 R$50.3

204.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$18.53 R$95.0

97.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$25.31 R$130

141.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$27.06 R$139

-1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.37 R$32.64

7.54%

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

$453 MX$7,656

$138 R$709

227.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.8K

$1,910 R$9,790

599.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,266

$68.3 R$350

9.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$80.3 R$412

-31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,918

$65.2 R$334

74.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,071

$46.19 R$237

165.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$347 R$1,779

226.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$236 R$1,208

202.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$634 R$3,250

305.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$437 R$2,239

200.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$1,827 R$9,361

118.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,159 R$5,939

80.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.67

5.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $347 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $169 per month, with Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $780 including rent). Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,171 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $347 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais runs roughly 99% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $138 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $780 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.