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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $609 in Varginha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $975 in Varginha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,341 in Varginha.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 143% more expensive than Varginha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Varginha is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.25 R$31.18

107.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$21.56 R$108

146.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.31 R$31.51

54.04%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$0.94 R$4.68

298.94%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.83 R$4.14

89.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.55 R$2.76

105.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.29 R$6.44

146.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.33 R$16.64

39.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.12 R$5.59

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.45 R$7.26

86.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.88 R$4.40

113.64%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.34 R$6.66

87.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.81 R$38.99

29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.78 R$18.87

119.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.35 R$36.67

62.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.23 R$6.16

132.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.27 R$6.36

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$0.86 R$4.30

141.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.13 R$5.66

74.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.85 R$4.24

154.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.93 R$4.64

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.47 R$2.33

195.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.55 R$2.72

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.00 R$9.98

110.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.02 R$25.05

183.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.02 R$5.07

72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.66 R$8.30

121.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.82 R$4.09

-52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.44 R$192

-51.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.87 R$4.34

59.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.62 R$3.09

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.91 R$29.47

-8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.05 R$5.24

28.57%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.3K R$111.2K

-15.28%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$26.6K R$132.7K

-12.97%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$46.61 R$233

-12.42%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$4.43 R$22.11

520.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$17.80 R$88.8

70.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.86 R$114

133.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.46 R$107

22.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.29 R$26.42

18.53%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$195 R$975

123.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,925 R$19.6K

166.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$32.96 R$164

72.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$52.0 R$259

-13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$71.9 R$359

43.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$53.6 R$267

101.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$134 R$668

646.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$106 R$531

482.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$246 R$1,227

769.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$230 R$1,150

436.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,644 R$8,206

135.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,202 R$5,998

94.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$462 R$2,303

131.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varginha: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $134 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 131% 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 $22.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $153 per month, with Varginha 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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Varginha differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $609 including rent). Varginha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 131% 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 $134 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Varginha runs roughly 106% 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 $195 in Varginha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $609 in Varginha versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.