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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $768 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,230 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,692 in Porto Velho.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than in Porto Velho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Porto Velho is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$4.59 R$23.29

186.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$934

$25.75 R$131

108.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$5.98 R$30.34

59.70%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.9

$1.61 R$8.17

131.06%

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

$1.57 MX$27.33

$1.15 R$5.83

36.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.16

$0.36 R$1.85

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.5

$1.82 R$9.25

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.8

$2.73 R$13.87

69.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.74

$1.01 R$5.12

69.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.63

$1.47 R$7.44

78.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.93

$1.18 R$5.98

60.17%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.26

$2.02 R$10.25

28.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$8.26 R$41.92

19.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$3.59 R$18.24

128.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$7.06 R$35.85

66.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.2

$2.13 R$10.83

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.38

$1.25 R$6.34

44.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.16

$1.14 R$5.79

81.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.30

$1.44 R$7.31

36.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.13

$1.19 R$6.04

73.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.92

$1.06 R$5.38

104.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.46

$0.71 R$3.59

97.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.74

$0.62 R$3.15

72.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.8

$2.17 R$11.03

89.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$304

$7.36 R$37.36

136.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.22

$1.20 R$6.11

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.6

$1.99 R$10.08

83.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.63

$0.86 R$4.37

-55.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$39.05 R$198

-52.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$1.11 R$5.64

19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

$0.75 R$3.79

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.1

$6.37 R$32.32

-13.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$1.09 R$5.53

20.18%

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

$19.2K MX$334.2K

$20.8K R$105.7K

-7.98%

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

$23.7K MX$414.1K

$27.7K R$140.4K

-14.16%

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

$41.14 MX$717

$59.4 R$302

-30.76%

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

$27.74 MX$484

$13.39 R$67.9

107.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$525

$18.91 R$96.0

59.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$937

$22.81 R$116

135.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$453

$21.20 R$108

22.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$6.28 R$31.85

3.34%

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

$437 MX$7,614

$273 R$1,384

60.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.3K

$6,597 R$33.5K

58.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$49.46 R$251

17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$800

$42.67 R$217

7.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,769

$75.9 R$385

33.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,858

$64.4 R$327

65.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$321 R$1,629

213.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$213 R$1,083

197.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.5K

$589 R$2,989

264.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$434 R$2,203

187.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.3K

$1,669 R$8,469

131.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,221 R$6,196

70.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

$409 R$2,078

161.82%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $321 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 162% 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 $26.00 in Porto Velho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $172 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $768 including rent). Porto Velho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% 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 $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 109% 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 $273 in Porto Velho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $768 in Porto Velho versus $1,481 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.