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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $762 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,168 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,574 in Sao Luis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Sao Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Sao Luis is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.99 R$25.26

160.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$30.58 R$155

72.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.16 R$36.24

31.70%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.04 R$10.34

75.00%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.95 R$4.79

69.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.59 R$3.00

94.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.87 R$9.48

68.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.33 R$16.86

45.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.03 R$5.21

65.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.85 R$9.36

42.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.01 R$5.13

88.12%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.85 R$9.38

37.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.20 R$46.59

9.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.64 R$18.43

127.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.42 R$37.57

55.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.86 R$9.43

62.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.26 R$6.37

35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.03 R$5.19

99.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.36 R$6.90

51.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.11 R$5.63

85.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.24 R$6.26

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.73 R$3.71

91.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.61 R$3.08

83.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.01 R$10.17

113.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$7.89 R$39.95

95.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.12 R$5.66

49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.96 R$9.90

88.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.79 R$4.02

-51.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$35.39 R$179

-46.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.92 R$4.68

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.53 R$2.67

-47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.54 R$33.11

-17.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.00 R$5.07

28.00%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$16.8K R$85.2K

12.83%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$24.9K R$126.1K

-5.82%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$84.5 R$428

-51.46%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$17.37 R$87.9

54.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$16.28 R$82.4

82.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$18.19 R$92.1

187.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.44 R$78.2

69.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.25 R$31.66

-1.12%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$206 R$1,044

107.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,293 R$21.7K

149.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$43.68 R$221

30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$47.00 R$238

-4.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$53.8 R$273

94.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$53.0 R$268

99.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$386 R$1,953

157.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$209 R$1,061

196.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$513 R$2,597

314.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$302 R$1,530

314.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,489 R$7,538

162.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$693 R$3,509

202.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$370 R$1,873

199.22%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $386 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 199% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $177 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 90% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $762 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 199% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $386 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 86% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $206 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $762 in Sao Luis versus $1,447 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.