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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $620 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,040 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,460 in Teresina.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 138% more expensive than in Teresina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Teresina is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.27 R$26.76

149.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$26.66 R$135

100.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.40 R$32.48

45.78%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.80 R$9.13

105.56%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.12 R$5.70

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.67 R$3.39

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.75 R$8.90

79.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.73 R$13.84

77.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.24 R$6.28

33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.17 R$11.02

24.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.25 R$6.34

52.80%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.58 R$18.17

-27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.27 R$41.98

18.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.70 R$18.79

127.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.12 R$36.12

67.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.61 R$8.18

83.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.29 R$6.56

34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.15 R$5.86

77.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.50 R$7.62

37.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.14 R$5.81

88.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.11 R$5.62

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.74 R$3.78

87.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.62 R$3.16

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.15 R$10.91

96.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$9.40 R$47.72

86.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.26 R$6.37

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.09 R$10.59

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.70 R$3.56

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$38.56 R$196

-49.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.11 R$5.64

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.89 R$4.52

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$6.37 R$32.34

-17.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.10 R$5.58

23.64%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$20.4K R$103.4K

-6.25%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$27.6K R$140.0K

-14.43%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$61.7 R$313

-34.29%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$13.39 R$67.9

104.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$16.27 R$82.6

86.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$19.10 R$96.9

173.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.85 R$111

21.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$8.07 R$40.93

-23.30%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$269 R$1,363

58.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,560 R$33.3K

63.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$26.74 R$136

118.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$20.37 R$103

118.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$54.8 R$278

88.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$41.73 R$212

160.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$137 R$695

640.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$101 R$513

516.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$333 R$1,689

536.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$240 R$1,218

409.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,364 R$6,923

177.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$756 R$3,834

179.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$414 R$2,101

154.09%

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 Teresina: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $137 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 154% 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 $27.00 in Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $191 per month, with Teresina 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 Teresina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Teresina differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $620 including rent). Teresina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 154% 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 $137 in Teresina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Teresina runs roughly 100% 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 $269 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $620 in Teresina versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Teresina but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Teresina 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 Teresina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.