Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Passo Fundo Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Passo Fundo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $877 in Passo Fundo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,443 in Passo Fundo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,010 in Passo Fundo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than in Passo Fundo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Passo Fundo is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$5.86 R$30.05

107.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$31.52 R$162

71.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.71 R$34.38

65.28%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.99 R$10.22

106.03%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.37 R$7.02

22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.83 R$4.26

67.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.31 R$11.84

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.85 R$14.62

106.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.00 R$5.13

85.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.60 R$8.19

98.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.81 R$4.15

155.56%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.37 R$12.14

23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$10.10 R$51.8

24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.71 R$24.17

114.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.74 R$49.90

65.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.32 R$11.89

46.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.20 R$6.17

73.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$0.94 R$4.80

125.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.29 R$6.64

86.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.19 R$6.08

78.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.07 R$5.46

87.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.90 R$4.60

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.77 R$3.93

76.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.50 R$12.81

130.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.82 R$40.10

126.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.13 R$5.81

83.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.15 R$11.00

114.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.15 R$5.91

-67.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$53.2 R$273

-60.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.25 R$6.39

64.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.84 R$4.29

-30.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.99 R$40.96

-24.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.20 R$6.16

29.17%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$22.8K R$116.8K

0.37%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$33.4K R$171.2K

-18.44%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$71.6 R$367

-5.84%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$8.77 R$44.94

249.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$20.75 R$106

79.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$23.75 R$122

158.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$17.78 R$91.1

52.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$6.41 R$32.85

10.92%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$265 R$1,361

71.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,891 R$35.3K

98.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$49.30 R$253

50.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$50.1 R$257

13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$101 R$516

14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$77.9 R$399

55.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$316 R$1,619

263.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$231 R$1,182

207.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$739 R$3,787

248.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$543 R$2,782

138.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,222 R$6,265

227.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$969 R$4,970

119.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$697 R$3,571

55.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.5

-1.74%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Passo Fundo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $316 in Passo Fundo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% 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 $32.00 in Passo Fundo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $195 per month, with Passo Fundo 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 Passo Fundo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Passo Fundo differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $877 including rent). Passo Fundo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $316 in Passo Fundo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Passo Fundo runs roughly 151% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $265 in Passo Fundo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $877 in Passo Fundo versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Passo Fundo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Passo Fundo 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 Passo Fundo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.