Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $782 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Sao Luis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Sao Luis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $782 in Sao Luis.

Mexico City $1,608
Sao Luis $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,233 in Sao Luis.

Mexico City $2,549
Sao Luis $1,233

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,685 in Sao Luis.

Mexico City $3,490
Sao Luis $1,685

Living in Mexico City is roughly 106% more expensive than in Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Sao Luis is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$5.96 R$32.07

78.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$36.79 R$198

31.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$6.45 R$34.72

60.47%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.10 R$11.31

75.71%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$1.18 R$6.38

41.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.63 R$3.37

101.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.89 R$10.18

68.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.26 R$12.17

134.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.02 R$5.51

68.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.77 R$9.52

71.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.02 R$5.51

90.20%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.00 R$10.75

44.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$9.53 R$51.3

15.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$4.02 R$21.62

130.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.27 R$39.13

108.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.00 R$10.75

52.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.28 R$6.87

51.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.12 R$6.04

81.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.63 R$8.76

41.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.28 R$6.89

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.21 R$6.54

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.79 R$4.25

87.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.68 R$3.67

86.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.21 R$11.88

139.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$7.57 R$40.74

112.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.19 R$6.38

66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.16 R$11.63

96.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.75 R$4.02

-58.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$35.77 R$193

-44.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.94 R$5.06

95.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.81 R$4.34

-34.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.18 R$6.33

27.97%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$21.9K R$117.9K

-0.69%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$28.7K R$154.4K

-16.40%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$89.6 R$482

-29.67%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$16.58 R$89.2

65.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$19.72 R$106

80.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$18.63 R$100

216.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$14.41 R$77.5

64.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.34 R$34.13

0.95%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$174 R$934

148.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$2,700 R$14.5K

323.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$59.2 R$319

15.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$51.5 R$277

3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$71.6 R$385

50.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$55.5 R$299

111.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$331 R$1,782

236.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$177 R$951

301.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$527 R$2,835

391.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$307 R$1,652

358.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,441 R$7,756

151.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$681 R$3,667

213.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$366 R$1,968

158.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Sao Luis

$177 22.6% 75.1% $534

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Sao Luis

$184 23.5% 42.5% $136

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Sao Luis

$113 14.5% 42.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Sao Luis

$107 13.7% 31.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sao Luis

$126 16.1% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Sao Luis

$31 4% 56.4% $40

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Sao Luis

$44 5.6% 71.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $331 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $37 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $184 per month, with Sao Luis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,037,775

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Sao Luis 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Sao Luis

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $782 in Sao Luis, so Sao Luis is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2.6 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $331 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 45% less than in Sao Luis. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $174 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $782 in Sao Luis versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 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.

It comes down to priorities – Sao Luis wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.