Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Joao da Boa Vista Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $790 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,267 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,744 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sao Joao da Boa Vista is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$225

$5.43 R$28.03

138.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$908

$26.58 R$137

96.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$168

$5.69 R$29.38

70.30%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.1

$2.07 R$10.69

81.16%

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

$1.56 MX$27.14

$1.25 R$6.48

24.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.10

$0.88 R$4.55

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$2.11 R$10.87

53.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.0

$2.69 R$13.87

82.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$0.86 R$4.42

97.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.30

$1.53 R$7.88

74.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.77

$1.33 R$6.88

42.11%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.74

$2.83 R$14.60

-10.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$174

$12.49 R$64.5

-19.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$148

$4.23 R$21.83

101.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$207

$8.66 R$44.67

37.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.6

$1.64 R$8.44

81.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.14

$1.21 R$6.22

47.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.69

$2.15 R$11.09

-6.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.03

$1.75 R$9.04

12.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$1.31 R$6.76

64.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.38

$1.23 R$6.33

84.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$1.05 R$5.41

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.34

$0.46 R$2.39

141.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.9

$2.20 R$11.37

90.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$287

$5.99 R$30.93

176.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.19

$1.37 R$7.07

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.15 R$11.11

66.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.88 R$4.53

-55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$39.18 R$202

-51.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.98

$1.24 R$6.38

11.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.24

$1.07 R$5.51

-71.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$93.5

$6.46 R$33.36

-16.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.32

$0.84 R$4.31

53.57%

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

$18.9K MX$327.9K

$20.6K R$106.4K

-8.30%

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

$23.8K MX$413.0K

$29.0K R$149.6K

-17.89%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$85.5 R$441

-53.37%

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

$27.83 MX$483

$11.91 R$61.5

133.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$517

$18.05 R$93.2

64.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$902

$22.62 R$117

129.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$455

$21.23 R$110

23.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$4.51 R$23.30

39.02%

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

$433 MX$7,508

$288 R$1,488

50.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$7,923 R$40.9K

33.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$989

$46.17 R$238

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$787

$40.16 R$207

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,768

$39.11 R$202

160.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$40.62 R$210

167.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$313 R$1,618

217.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$218 R$1,124

183.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$36.2K

$585 R$3,017

256.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$435 R$2,247

188.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$68.3K

$1,620 R$8,363

142.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$36.2K

$1,188 R$6,129

75.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.6K

$649 R$3,348

74.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-5.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $313 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 74% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $197 per month, with Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sao Joao da Boa Vista differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $790 including rent). Sao Joao da Boa Vista is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $313 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Joao da Boa Vista runs roughly 104% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $288 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $790 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Boa Vista but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Sao Joao da Boa Vista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.