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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $746 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,166 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,587 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 99% more expensive than in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$3.56 R$18.00

269.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$14.25 R$72.1

276.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$6.82 R$34.47

40.03%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$1.56 R$7.88

138.46%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$0.97 R$4.93

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.64 R$3.25

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.77 R$8.96

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.12 R$15.77

48.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.89 R$4.48

92.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$1.46 R$7.38

79.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.54 R$7.80

22.73%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$1.91 R$9.64

36.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$8.23 R$41.63

20.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$3.42 R$17.30

140.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$7.43 R$37.60

58.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$2.20 R$11.10

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.34 R$6.79

34.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$1.07 R$5.40

93.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.35 R$6.85

45.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.03 R$5.19

100.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$0.84 R$4.27

158.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$0.65 R$3.30

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.63 R$3.19

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$2.14 R$10.81

92.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$5.97 R$30.21

191.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.02 R$5.16

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.19 R$11.09

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.92 R$4.65

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$38.38 R$194

-51.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$0.91 R$4.62

46.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.12 R$5.67

-73.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$3.57 R$18.08

54.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.05 R$5.31

24.76%

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$10.9K R$55.3K

75.39%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$26.9K R$135.9K

-11.60%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$66.0 R$334

-37.69%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$14.48 R$73.2

91.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$21.17 R$107

42.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$22.23 R$112

141.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$21.24 R$107

22.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$7.08 R$35.81

-8.33%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$212 R$1,074

105.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$1,779 R$8,997

487.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$51.9 R$263

12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$37.21 R$188

23.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$72.4 R$366

40.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$64.7 R$327

64.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$313 R$1,584

221.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$220 R$1,112

188.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$587 R$2,969

265.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$403 R$2,037

209.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$1,492 R$7,549

158.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,189 R$6,013

75.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.83

4.71%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $313 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $168 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 99% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $746 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 $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,119 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $313 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 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $212 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $746 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,481 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 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.