Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Passos Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Passos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $930 in Passos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,480 in Passos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,030 in Passos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than in Passos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Passos is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$9.20 R$47.14

31.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$881

$33.59 R$172

55.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$8.34 R$42.72

30.70%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$2.14 R$10.95

89.25%

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

$1.72 MX$28.95

$1.27 R$6.48

35.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.25

$0.91 R$4.65

51.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$2.33 R$11.94

48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$3.56 R$18.27

63.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$1.07 R$5.47

72.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$2.01 R$10.31

60.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$1.34 R$6.88

55.97%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.10

$2.65 R$13.57

9.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$11.22 R$57.5

11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.92 R$25.22

105.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$10.24 R$52.5

55.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.30 R$11.79

43.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.90

$1.78 R$9.11

19.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.97

$1.54 R$7.91

42.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$1.42 R$7.29

72.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.95

$1.28 R$6.54

71.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.15

$1.17 R$5.99

62.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.26

$0.91 R$4.65

78.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.78

$0.81 R$4.17

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$2.37 R$12.13

129.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$7.85 R$40.20

124.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$1.50 R$7.71

38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$2.45 R$12.53

93.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.82 R$4.21

-58.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

$48.51 R$249

-55.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.44

$1.13 R$5.77

80.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.75 R$3.85

-22.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$8.44 R$43.23

-29.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.27

$1.23 R$6.29

31.71%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$22.8K R$116.6K

0.22%

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

$26.7K MX$450.0K

$30.8K R$158.0K

-13.54%

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

$65.2 MX$1,101

$63.6 R$326

2.55%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$15.58 R$79.8

91.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$22.39 R$115

63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$24.71 R$127

146.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$23.29 R$119

14.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$7.66 R$39.27

-10.57%

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

$453 MX$7,652

$420 R$2,152

7.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.7K

$9,757 R$50.0K

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,265

$64.0 R$328

17.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$933

$54.6 R$280

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,917

$92.9 R$476

22.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,070

$83.4 R$428

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$337 R$1,726

236.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$230 R$1,177

210.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$635 R$3,253

304.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$443 R$2,269

196.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$1,849 R$9,472

115.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,161 R$5,951

80.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$402 R$2,062

160.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.81

4.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Passos: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $337 in Passos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 160% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Passos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $219 per month, with Passos 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 Passos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Passos differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $930 including rent). Passos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $337 in Passos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Passos runs roughly 125% 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 $420 in Passos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $930 in Passos versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Passos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Passos 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 Passos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.