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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $625 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,038 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,451 in Teresina.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 138% more expensive than 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

$12.98 MX$227

$5.44 R$27.15

138.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$27.04 R$135

96.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.12 R$30.53

58.82%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.81 R$9.02

107.18%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.08 R$5.39

45.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.67 R$3.33

68.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.81 R$9.04

75.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.71 R$13.55

71.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.20 R$6.01

35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.18 R$10.88

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.24 R$6.19

51.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.54 R$17.66

-29.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.14 R$40.60

23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.54 R$17.67

134.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.17 R$35.79

66.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.59 R$7.92

79.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.25 R$6.21

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.15 R$5.75

80.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.52 R$7.56

29.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.14 R$5.69

89.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.11 R$5.53

96.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.69 R$3.46

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.62 R$3.11

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.15 R$10.75

95.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.84 R$39.13

81.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.20 R$6.01

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.09 R$10.42

76.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.69 R$3.42

-43.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$39.25 R$196

-52.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.11 R$5.54

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.93 R$4.66

-67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.41 R$32.00

-15.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.10 R$5.50

22.73%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$20.9K R$104.3K

-9.67%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.4K R$136.8K

-15.52%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$60.5 R$302

-32.52%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.48 R$67.3

104.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$16.11 R$80.4

88.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$18.56 R$92.6

187.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.91 R$109

20.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.03 R$40.09

-21.92%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$268 R$1,338

62.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,486 R$32.4K

61.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$26.70 R$133

112.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$20.84 R$104

114.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$54.1 R$270

90.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$41.74 R$208

158.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$137 R$681

632.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$98.8 R$493

527.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$339 R$1,693

530.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$245 R$1,221

404.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,359 R$6,782

184.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$769 R$3,838

203.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$432 R$2,156

147.03%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Teresina: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $137 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 147% 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 $27.00 in Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $186 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 ($1,484 vs $625 including rent). Teresina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 147% 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: $1,000 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 110% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $268 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $625 in Teresina versus $1,484 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.