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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $829 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,364 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,898 in Porto Velho.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Porto Velho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Porto Velho is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$5.84 R$29.94

107.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$39.28 R$201

37.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.39 R$32.78

73.55%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.78 R$9.11

130.34%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.59 R$8.13

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.50 R$2.56

178.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.89 R$9.69

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.18 R$11.19

169.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.04 R$5.36

77.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.67 R$8.58

89.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.27 R$6.49

62.99%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.07 R$10.62

41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.96 R$45.93

40.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.19 R$21.47

141.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.35 R$42.78

92.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.19 R$11.21

54.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.29 R$6.59

61.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.13 R$5.78

87.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.57 R$8.05

53.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.16 R$5.94

83.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.08 R$5.53

86.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.81 R$4.16

91.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.79 R$4.07

72.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.39 R$12.24

141.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.66 R$39.26

131.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.21 R$6.21

71.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.11 R$10.83

118.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.92 R$4.70

-59.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$42.24 R$217

-49.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.22 R$6.26

68.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.80 R$4.11

-27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.89 R$40.47

-23.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.16 R$5.94

33.62%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$22.7K R$116.2K

0.90%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$31.2K R$159.9K

-12.71%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$71.6 R$367

-5.84%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$12.24 R$62.8

150.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$20.25 R$104

83.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$25.11 R$129

144.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$26.70 R$137

1.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.00 R$35.90

1.57%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$289 R$1,481

57.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$7,521 R$38.6K

82.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$54.1 R$278

37.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$49.23 R$252

15.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$91.9 R$471

25.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$70.6 R$362

72.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$339 R$1,736

238.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$235 R$1,204

201.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$646 R$3,309

299.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$458 R$2,345

183.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,611 R$8,258

148.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,125 R$5,769

89.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$408 R$2,094

164.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.12

1.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $339 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 165% 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 $39.00 in Porto Velho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $188 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 102% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $829 including rent). Porto Velho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $339 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 99% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $289 in Porto Velho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $829 in Porto Velho versus $1,677 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 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.