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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $838 in Ubatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,325 in Ubatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,812 in Ubatuba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ubatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Ubatuba is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$7.16 R$36.68

66.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$28.71 R$147

79.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$4.85 R$24.83

135.26%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$1.49 R$7.64

167.79%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.30 R$6.66

27.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.87 R$4.46

52.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.29 R$11.75

51.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$3.65 R$18.70

61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.06 R$5.43

77.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.78 R$9.13

82.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.34 R$6.86

61.19%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.61 R$13.36

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$2.98 R$15.25

331.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.95 R$20.23

154.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$7.82 R$40.06

102.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$1.60 R$8.22

105.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.14 R$5.84

76.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.14 R$5.82

92.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.50 R$7.70

57.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.14 R$5.85

79.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.14 R$5.84

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.91 R$4.65

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.57 R$2.90

145.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$2.45 R$12.54

122.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$7.89 R$40.45

123.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.46 R$7.51

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.41 R$12.33

94.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.00 R$5.10

-66.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.19 R$6.10

76.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.76 R$3.90

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$8.14 R$41.69

-28.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.22 R$6.26

31.97%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$23.1K R$118.5K

-1.23%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$31.7K R$162.7K

-15.72%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$64.0 R$328

1.83%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$9.20 R$47.16

227.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$19.68 R$101

88.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$11.47 R$58.8

421.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.80 R$39.95

-9.74%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$426 R$2,183

9.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$9,797 R$50.2K

35.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$64.1 R$328

18.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$55.4 R$284

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$93.6 R$480

19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$83.6 R$428

44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$397 R$2,033

177.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$295 R$1,512

144.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$780 R$3,997

224.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$573 R$2,935

125.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,726 R$8,847

131.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$376 R$1,927

175.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.81

4.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ubatuba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $397 in Ubatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 176% 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 $29.00 in Ubatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $167 per month, with Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ubatuba differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $838 including rent). Ubatuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 176% 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 $397 in Ubatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $426 in Ubatuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $838 in Ubatuba versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ubatuba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.