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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $677 in Passo Fundo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,124 in Passo Fundo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,571 in Passo Fundo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 117% more expensive than Passo Fundo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Passo Fundo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.47 R$27.67

140.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$27.27 R$138

97.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.27 R$31.70

50.24%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$0.92 R$4.64

285.87%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.10 R$5.57

47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.56 R$2.83

98.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.46 R$7.40

113.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.78 R$9.02

160.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.86 R$4.34

97.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.44 R$7.28

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.10 R$5.57

73.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.12 R$10.74

19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.70 R$28.84

75.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.53 R$22.94

78.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.14 R$46.25

27.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.01 R$10.15

47.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.70 R$3.53

158.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.28 R$6.48

57.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.70 R$3.56

190.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.09 R$5.54

94.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.06 R$5.38

114.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.64 R$3.23

118.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.62 R$3.12

82.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.98 R$10.02

115.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$8.05 R$40.71

93.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$0.75 R$3.79

134.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.81 R$9.14

98.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.87 R$4.39

-56.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$39.20 R$198

-51.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.10 R$5.55

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.02 R$5.15

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$5.33 R$26.95

2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.10 R$5.59

18.18%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$24.4K R$123.6K

-23.50%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$27.6K R$139.7K

-16.23%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$34.18 R$173

19.54%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$6.83 R$34.58

292.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$17.86 R$90.4

67.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$18.32 R$92.7

183.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$21.47 R$109

25.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.45 R$22.53

41.57%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$309 R$1,562

41.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$7,130 R$36.1K

46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$49.20 R$249

15.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$53.6 R$271

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$80.7 R$408

27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$62.0 R$313

70.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$311 R$1,573

228.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$179 R$906

252.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$633 R$3,203

237.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$355 R$1,795

250.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$865 R$4,377

351.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$636 R$3,215

224.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$713 R$3,606

56.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Passo Fundo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $311 in Passo Fundo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 56% 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 $27.00 in Passo Fundo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $165 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 117% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $677 including rent). Passo Fundo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 56% 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 $311 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 104% 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 $309 in Passo Fundo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $677 in Passo Fundo versus $1,467 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 117% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.