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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $749 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,208 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Teresina.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 121% more expensive than in Teresina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Teresina is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.93 R$30.39

101.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$19.55 R$100

163.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$6.00 R$30.74

90.17%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.08 R$10.64

91.83%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.05 R$5.40

58.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.76 R$3.90

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.55 R$7.95

123.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.01 R$15.42

96.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.40 R$7.18

34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$2.22 R$11.40

46.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.42 R$7.30

52.11%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$4.29 R$21.98

-32.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$7.58 R$38.86

69.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.09 R$20.95

145.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$6.56 R$33.62

141.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$1.93 R$9.90

70.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$0.88 R$4.51

128.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$0.88 R$4.52

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.29 R$6.59

82.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.08 R$5.55

89.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.88 R$4.53

115.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.50 R$2.55

222.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.48 R$7.58

-5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.12 R$15.97

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$9.13 R$46.78

93.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.45 R$7.42

42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.74 R$14.04

70.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.95 R$4.89

-64.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$44.40 R$228

-53.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.52 R$7.78

38.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.80 R$4.12

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$8.08 R$41.38

-28.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.16 R$5.94

38.79%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$22.8K R$116.6K

0.36%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$32.2K R$165.2K

-17.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$73.9 R$378

-11.74%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.28 R$52.7

192.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$17.29 R$88.6

115.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$20.78 R$106

187.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$12.40 R$63.5

114.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.75 R$39.74

-9.16%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$568 R$2,910

-18.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$7,246 R$37.1K

83.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$41.84 R$214

81.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$29.25 R$150

91.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$75.2 R$385

48.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$48.26 R$247

149.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$159 R$815

593.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$150 R$770

379.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$398 R$2,040

535.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$428 R$2,192

202.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,342 R$6,878

197.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$751 R$3,847

178.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$382 R$1,959

171.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.06

2.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Teresina: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $159 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 171% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $203 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 121% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $749 including rent). Teresina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 171% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $159 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 113% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $568 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $749 in Teresina versus $1,660 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 121% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.