Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Porto Velho Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Porto Velho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $763 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,215 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Porto Velho.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 92% more expensive than Porto Velho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Porto Velho is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$4.58 R$22.77

190.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$26.44 R$131

103.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.80 R$28.84

62.41%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.65 R$8.20

117.58%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.14 R$5.66

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.36 R$1.80

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.76 R$8.76

84.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.64 R$13.14

76.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.96 R$4.76

70.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.52 R$7.54

74.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.18 R$5.85

66.10%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.95 R$9.68

30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.02 R$39.84

24.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$3.58 R$17.77

134.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.41 R$36.83

59.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.12 R$10.52

34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.25 R$6.21

38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.15 R$5.70

73.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.46 R$7.26

40.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.20 R$5.96

71.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.10 R$5.47

107.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.70 R$3.49

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.66 R$3.26

65.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.15 R$10.68

98.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$8.38 R$41.66

75.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.27 R$6.34

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.00 R$9.95

78.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.92 R$4.56

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$38.61 R$192

-51.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.11 R$5.49

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.76 R$3.76

-60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$6.47 R$32.14

-16.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.09 R$5.42

22.94%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.0K R$104.3K

-10.18%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$28.0K R$139.4K

-17.27%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$61.3 R$305

-34.27%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$13.43 R$66.7

102.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$19.13 R$95.1

54.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$22.13 R$110

138.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$21.74 R$108

20.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.41 R$31.86

-3.59%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$268 R$1,332

64.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$6,443 R$32.0K

66.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$49.00 R$244

16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$41.71 R$207

7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$77.1 R$383

34.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$64.1 R$319

69.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$321 R$1,596

211.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$218 R$1,084

189.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$588 R$2,922

264.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$425 R$2,114

194.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$1,918 R$9,531

95.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,018 R$5,061

133.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$419 R$2,084

157.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $321 in Porto Velho. 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 in Mexico City vs $26 in Porto Velho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $175 per month, with Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Porto Velho differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $763 including rent). Porto Velho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 157% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $321 in Porto Velho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Porto Velho runs roughly 106% 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 $268 in Porto Velho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $763 in Porto Velho versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Velho but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho 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.