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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $822 in Ubatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,316 in Ubatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,809 in Ubatuba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 78% more expensive than Ubatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ubatuba is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.81 R$34.06

93.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$26.14 R$131

106.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.37 R$21.85

115.56%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.34 R$6.69

164.93%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.29 R$6.43

25.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.81 R$4.07

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.83 R$9.17

70.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.72 R$13.60

70.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.02 R$5.12

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.58 R$7.89

72.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.17 R$5.86

63.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.36 R$11.81

7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$2.77 R$13.87

262.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.70 R$18.50

118.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.04 R$35.22

65.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.48 R$7.38

100.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.06 R$5.29

70.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.06 R$5.33

89.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.63 R$8.16

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.11 R$5.55

90.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.10 R$5.50

106.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.86 R$4.32

62.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.53 R$2.64

113.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$1.78 R$8.89

139.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.26 R$41.34

88.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.36 R$6.80

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.97 R$9.88

82.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.92 R$4.62

-58.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$38.43 R$192

-50.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.11 R$5.56

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.63 R$3.14

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$7.60 R$38.02

-28.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.07 R$5.37

21.50%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.6K R$113.2K

-17.40%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.1K R$140.8K

-17.77%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$52.1 R$261

-21.54%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.07 R$40.38

232.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.26 R$91.4

64.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$22.39 R$112

132.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$21.20 R$106

26.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.35 R$36.76

-14.29%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$321 R$1,608

35.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,688 R$43.5K

19.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$55.8 R$279

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$57.3 R$287

-22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$75.0 R$376

37.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$75.8 R$379

39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$356 R$1,784

186.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$272 R$1,359

132.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$708 R$3,543

201.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$540 R$2,704

130.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,759 R$8,800

121.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$375 R$1,877

197.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.17

1.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubatuba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $356 in Ubatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 197% 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 $26.00 in Ubatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $157 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 78% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $822 including rent). Ubatuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 197% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $356 in Ubatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubatuba 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $321 in Ubatuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $822 in Ubatuba versus $1,467 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 78% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.