Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Timbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Timbo: $764 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Timbo
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Timbo Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Timbo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Timbo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Timbo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $764 in Timbo.

Mexico City $1,548
Timbo $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,250 in Timbo.

Mexico City $2,436
Timbo $1,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,737 in Timbo.

Mexico City $3,323
Timbo $1,737

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Timbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Timbo is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$4.90 R$24.82

124.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$39.89 R$202

22.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$3.93 R$19.90

177.35%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.05 R$10.41

79.51%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.07 R$5.44

52.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.71 R$3.60

76.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.89 R$9.57

71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.35 R$11.93

135.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.93 R$4.69

82.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.47 R$7.47

105.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$0.93 R$4.72

106.45%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.80 R$9.11

51.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$7.84 R$39.76

50.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.60 R$18.24

164.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$7.74 R$39.26

86.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.83 R$9.29

65.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$0.72 R$3.65

162.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.83 R$4.20

139.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.34 R$6.81

63.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.86 R$4.35

123.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.78 R$3.96

139.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.63 R$3.18

128.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.83 R$4.20

53.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$1.63 R$8.25

220.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$4.99 R$25.28

224.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.12 R$5.68

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.06 R$10.44

104.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.03 R$5.24

-66.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$44.44 R$225

-55.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$1.31 R$6.65

52.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.83 R$4.20

-37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$6.11 R$30.95

-12.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.02 R$5.19

49.02%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$22.8K R$115.7K

-3.24%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$27.3K R$138.4K

-10.20%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$57.6 R$292

6.04%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$12.86 R$65.2

122.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$23.62 R$120

45.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$25.78 R$131

118.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$27.38 R$139

-9.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$5.84 R$29.62

14.04%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$238 R$1,204

79.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$2,918 R$14.8K

298.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$31.48 R$160

115.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$40.18 R$204

29.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$59.2 R$300

79.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$49.89 R$253

125.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$351 R$1,781

191.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$241 R$1,223

171.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$662 R$3,354

248.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$477 R$2,419

160.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,726 R$8,751

109.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,213 R$6,151

59.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$713 R$3,613

35.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Timbo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Timbo

$241 31.6% 63.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Timbo

$159 20.9% 49.9% $159

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Timbo

$97 12.7% 52.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Timbo

$81 10.6% 46.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Timbo

$94 12.3% 24.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Timbo

$37 4.9% 46.2% $32

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Timbo

$54 7.1% 111% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $351 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 35% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $159 per month, with Timbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇧🇷 Timbo

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

09:31 9:31 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

46,099

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Timbo 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Timbo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Timbo differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $764 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $351 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Timbo runs roughly 126% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $238 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $764 in Timbo versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.