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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $772 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,171 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,570 in Sao Luis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$4.94 R$25.05

165.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$31.14 R$158

71.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$7.29 R$37.02

27.98%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$2.04 R$10.34

81.37%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$1.02 R$5.18

56.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.59 R$2.99

89.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.93 R$9.78

62.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$3.20 R$16.22

51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.04 R$5.27

58.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.92 R$9.73

41.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.03 R$5.21

85.44%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.93 R$9.82

34.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.11 R$46.24

7.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.64 R$18.47

131.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$7.37 R$37.42

61.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$1.87 R$9.51

57.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.26 R$6.42

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$0.96 R$4.85

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.36 R$6.91

51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.16 R$5.87

85.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.24 R$6.31

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.73 R$3.73

90.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.58 R$2.93

93.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$2.02 R$10.28

108.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.33 R$42.27

110.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$1.11 R$5.64

54.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$1.98 R$10.03

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.80 R$4.04

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$35.53 R$180

-45.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.86 R$4.39

60.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.50 R$2.53

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$6.35 R$32.22

-16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.97 R$4.94

40.21%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$16.9K R$86.0K

12.79%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$25.1K R$127.6K

-6.13%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$82.4 R$418

-50.80%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$17.56 R$89.1

55.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$16.07 R$81.5

89.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$18.64 R$94.6

180.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$15.37 R$78.0

72.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.07 R$30.78

1.98%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$203 R$1,031

109.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$4,350 R$22.1K

146.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$43.42 R$220

34.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$46.76 R$237

-4.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$53.0 R$269

95.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$54.9 R$279

98.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$391 R$1,985

159.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$209 R$1,060

198.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$512 R$2,599

313.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$297 R$1,509

311.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$1,483 R$7,527

155.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$720 R$3,652

193.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$377 R$1,913

179.15%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $391 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 179% 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 $31.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $179 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 91% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $772 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 179% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $391 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 84% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $203 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $772 in Sao Luis versus $1,472 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 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.