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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $815 in Passos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,317 in Passos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,819 in Passos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than in Passos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Passos is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$7.38 R$37.31

78.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$32.10 R$162

66.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$6.58 R$33.28

45.14%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$1.80 R$9.09

106.67%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.27 R$6.41

23.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.77 R$3.88

50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.83 R$9.26

73.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$2.72 R$13.75

70.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.95 R$4.81

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$1.80 R$9.11

45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.18 R$5.99

60.17%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$2.32 R$11.71

12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$10.00 R$50.6

-0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$4.07 R$20.60

101.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$8.19 R$41.45

43.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$2.09 R$10.60

43.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.68 R$8.51

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$1.44 R$7.29

43.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.75 R$8.84

12.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.40 R$7.10

47.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.39 R$7.05

56.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$1.02 R$5.14

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.68 R$3.45

57.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$1.77 R$8.97

132.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$7.97 R$40.32

118.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.33 R$6.71

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.00 R$10.12

82.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.89 R$4.50

-57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$37.84 R$191

-50.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$1.16 R$5.87

14.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$0.58 R$2.92

-48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$7.56 R$38.22

-27.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.03 R$5.22

27.18%

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$22.2K R$112.2K

-13.63%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$28.7K R$145.2K

-17.26%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$51.9 R$263

-20.79%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$16.61 R$84.0

67.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$22.54 R$114

33.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$22.26 R$113

141.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$21.33 R$108

21.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$7.13 R$36.04

-8.98%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$334 R$1,688

30.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$8,851 R$44.8K

18.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$54.5 R$275

7.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$57.0 R$288

-19.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$74.5 R$377

36.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$75.1 R$380

41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$310 R$1,569

224.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$217 R$1,098

191.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$584 R$2,955

267.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$438 R$2,216

184.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$1,632 R$8,253

136.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,033 R$5,227

101.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

$418 R$2,114

156.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.17

1.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Passos: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $310 in Passos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 157% 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 Passos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $197 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 82% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $815 including rent). Passos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 157% 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $310 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 102% 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 $334 in Passos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Passos versus $1,481 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.