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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $1,600 in Sintra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,390 in Sintra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $3,181 in Sintra.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 4% more expensive than in Sintra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Sintra 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$13.11 €11.52

-8.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$937

$57.3 €50.4

-7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$9.34 €8.21

25.16%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.7

$1.37 €1.20

182.48%

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

$1.75 MX$31.05

$1.59 €1.40

10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.74

$1.20 €1.05

15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.6

$3.45 €3.03

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$2.95 €2.59

95.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.04

$1.11 €0.97

63.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.7

$1.27 €1.11

142.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.78

$1.35 €1.19

57.78%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.8

$2.77 €2.44

7.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$222

$9.17 €8.05

36.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$182

$7.02 €6.17

45.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$282

$11.32 €9.95

40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$60.1

$1.82 €1.60

86.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.37

$1.28 €1.12

64.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.73

$1.40 €1.23

52.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.77

$2.25 €1.98

9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.16

$1.35 €1.19

51.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.72

$1.82 €1.60

10.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.25

$1.66 €1.46

-4.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.58

$0.65 €0.57

104.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.4

$6.47 €5.68

-15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$311

$3.54 €3.11

394.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.74

$1.30 €1.14

54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$84.1

$1.45 €1.27

226.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.96

$2.30 €2.02

-85.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$374

$41.91 €36.82

-49.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.41

$3.72 €3.26

-44.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.79

$0.52 €0.46

17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$16.89 €14.84

-66.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.20

$2.08 €1.83

-23.56%

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

$22.9K MX$406.1K

$34.4K €30.2K

-33.46%

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

$26.4K MX$467.9K

$39.7K €34.9K

-33.51%

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

$64.2 MX$1,140

$130 €115

-50.74%

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

$29.42 MX$522

$22.65 €19.90

29.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$653

$46.86 €41.17

-21.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,042

$42.36 €37.22

38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$471

$17.10 €15.02

55.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$8.80 €7.73

-21.02%

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

$463 MX$8,210

$640 €562

-27.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$237.1K

$6,336 €5,567

110.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,338

$76.7 €67.4

-1.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$962

$46.59 €40.93

16.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,972

$109 €96.2

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,167

$51.4 €45.15

137.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.1K

$992 €872

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.4K

$778 €683

-10.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.3K

$1,583 €1,390

54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.1K

$1,195 €1,050

8.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.4K

$3,174 €2,789

23.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.7K

$2,321 €2,039

-10.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.7K

$1,411 €1,240

-25.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.54

219.21%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Sintra: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $992 in Sintra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sintra pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $57.0 in Sintra. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $209, with Sintra cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sintra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sintra differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $1,600 including rent). Sintra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Sintra. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $992 in Sintra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sintra runs roughly 99% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $463 in Mexico City versus $640 in Sintra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,600 in Sintra versus $1,668 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sintra but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sintra 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 Sintra 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 Sintra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.