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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $765 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,161 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,558 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 92% more expensive than Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$3.50 R$17.40

280.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$14.12 R$70.2

280.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.75 R$33.52

39.56%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.55 R$7.68

131.61%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.97 R$4.83

67.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.66 R$3.26

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.85 R$9.19

75.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.98 R$14.82

56.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.95 R$4.72

72.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.46 R$7.26

81.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.54 R$7.63

27.27%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.89 R$9.37

34.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.01 R$39.82

24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.44 R$17.09

143.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.30 R$36.29

62.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.23 R$11.06

28.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.32 R$6.57

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.10 R$5.45

80.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.36 R$6.76

50.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.06 R$5.27

94.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.82 R$4.05

178.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.71 R$3.52

104.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.63 R$3.15

73.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.10 R$10.45

103.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.19 R$40.72

79.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.02 R$5.08

72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.20 R$10.94

62.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.89 R$4.42

-57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$38.90 R$193

-51.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.93 R$4.64

49.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.09 R$5.42

-72.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$3.57 R$17.72

51.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.04 R$5.17

28.85%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$11.0K R$54.4K

72.09%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$26.9K R$133.8K

-13.80%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$64.6 R$321

-37.64%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$14.43 R$71.7

88.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$21.13 R$105

39.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$22.79 R$113

131.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$21.68 R$108

20.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$7.11 R$35.33

-13.08%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$218 R$1,084

101.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$1,825 R$9,069

486.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$51.9 R$258

10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$37.67 R$187

19.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$70.9 R$353

45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$66.1 R$329

64.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$316 R$1,570

216.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$218 R$1,082

190.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$578 R$2,870

270.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$409 R$2,035

205.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,651 R$8,206

126.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,199 R$5,959

98.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $316 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $14 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $172 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 92% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $765 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 $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,147 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $316 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 108% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $218 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $765 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,466 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 92% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.