Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $860 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,310 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,760 in Sao Luis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Sao Luis is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.17 R$31.64

93.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$38.42 R$197

34.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$6.90 R$35.35

65.36%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.11 R$10.81

89.10%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.24 R$6.35

33.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.65 R$3.31

104.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.90 R$9.71

82.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.35 R$12.06

151.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.08 R$5.53

74.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.95 R$9.97

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.12 R$5.76

92.86%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.17 R$11.12

33.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.66 R$49.49

33.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.21 R$21.55

138.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$7.56 R$38.75

109.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.09 R$10.69

57.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.40 R$7.18

43.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.22 R$6.25

80.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.64 R$8.42

43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.35 R$6.94

51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.30 R$6.64

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.82 R$4.22

96.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.76 R$3.92

84.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$2.37 R$12.15

130.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.04 R$41.18

119.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.26 R$6.46

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.18 R$11.17

114.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.80 R$4.12

-57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$37.23 R$191

-44.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$0.94 R$4.80

123.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.86 R$4.39

-34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.17 R$6.02

37.61%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$23.3K R$119.2K

-1.79%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$29.6K R$151.7K

-9.61%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$95.0 R$487

-31.35%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$17.04 R$87.3

76.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$20.60 R$106

80.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$20.06 R$103

197.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$14.84 R$76.1

78.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.56 R$38.73

-6.88%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$221 R$1,133

110.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,670 R$23.9K

184.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$48.06 R$246

57.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$50.7 R$260

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$58.0 R$297

92.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$58.2 R$298

106.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$348 R$1,784

216.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$227 R$1,164

217.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$567 R$2,904

346.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$321 R$1,644

303.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,476 R$7,565

170.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$700 R$3,590

198.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$382 R$1,959

171.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $348 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 171% 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 $38.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $194 per month, with Sao Luis 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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sao Luis differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $860 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 171% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $348 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Luis runs roughly 79% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $221 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $860 in Sao Luis versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Luis 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.