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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $761 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,198 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,635 in Porto Velho.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Porto Velho is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$4.45 R$22.94

196.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$26.32 R$136

104.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$5.87 R$30.26

60.48%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$1.59 R$8.22

123.27%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.15 R$5.93

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.37 R$1.89

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$1.77 R$9.12

76.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$2.74 R$14.10

68.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$0.93 R$4.79

82.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.44 R$7.44

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.15 R$5.92

66.09%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.03 R$10.48

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$8.12 R$41.83

23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$3.65 R$18.81

121.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$7.45 R$38.37

55.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$2.12 R$10.92

40.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.29 R$6.65

40.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.19 R$6.13

68.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.50 R$7.71

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.15 R$5.95

84.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$1.10 R$5.67

106.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$0.71 R$3.64

97.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.62 R$3.19

82.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$2.08 R$10.73

105.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$7.17 R$36.93

117.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.23 R$6.33

43.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$1.97 R$10.15

82.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.86 R$4.42

-55.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$38.72 R$199

-50.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.11 R$5.71

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.74 R$3.82

-62.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$6.50 R$33.49

-16.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.12 R$5.79

16.07%

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$20.4K R$105.2K

-8.49%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$27.8K R$143.4K

-16.91%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$61.7 R$318

-33.80%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$13.28 R$68.4

101.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$18.80 R$96.8

59.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$22.95 R$118

126.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$21.75 R$112

23.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$6.20 R$31.93

1.61%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$268 R$1,381

62.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$6,511 R$33.5K

59.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$49.85 R$257

13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$41.80 R$215

6.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$75.7 R$390

36.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$65.3 R$336

61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$312 R$1,606

227.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$218 R$1,122

189.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$581 R$2,991

267.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$423 R$2,180

193.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$1,812 R$9,333

115.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,151 R$5,929

79.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

$414 R$2,135

169.08%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $312 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 169% 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 $288 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 ($1,467 vs $761 including rent). Porto Velho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 169% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $312 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 102% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 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 $761 in Porto Velho versus $1,467 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.