Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Silves Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Silves

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,586 in Silves.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,340 in Silves.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $3,094 in Silves.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 8% less than in Silves, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Silves 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$11.69 €10.23

11.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$45.86 €40.16

17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$9.21 €8.07

5.10%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.14 €1.88

74.77%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.92 €1.68

-15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.37 €1.20

-15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.38 €2.08

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.44 €3.01

37.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.10 €0.97

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.56 €1.37

76.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.68 €1.47

11.31%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.18 €2.79

-21.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.12 €9.74

-8.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.43 €6.50

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$13.86 €12.14

-14.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.32 €2.03

29.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.43 €1.25

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.80 €1.58

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.61 €2.28

-23.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.50 €1.32

38.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.95 €1.70

16.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.57 €1.37

-7.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.82 €0.72

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$6.10 €5.34

-28.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$4.73 €4.14

259.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.26 €1.11

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.33 €2.04

53.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.38 €2.08

-83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$41.31 €36.18

-54.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.09 €3.58

-67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.81 €0.71

-65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$17.23 €15.09

-69.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.97 €1.73

-31.98%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$34.4K €30.1K

-43.52%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$39.8K €34.8K

-40.05%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$134 €117

-69.67%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$20.97 €18.36

28.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$42.81 €37.50

-28.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$44.35 €38.84

19.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$8.69 €7.61

-25.09%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$481 €421

-10.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$8,283 €7,254

26.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$74.8 €65.5

-23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$38.99 €34.14

16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$89.5 €78.4

16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$99.9 €87.5

7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$916 €802

9.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$721 €631

-13.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,488 €1,303

41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,149 €1,006

6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,502 €3,067

10.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,069 €1,812

-1.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$973 €852

6.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.01

126.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Silves: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $916 in Silves. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Silves for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $243 per month, with Silves 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 Silves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Silves differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,586 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $916 in Silves. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 121% less than in Silves. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $481 in Silves. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,586 in Silves, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Silves. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Silves are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Silves. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.