Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Viana do Castelo Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Viana do Castelo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,553 in Viana do Castelo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,512 in Viana do Castelo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $3,471 in Viana do Castelo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 8% more expensive than in Viana do Castelo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Viana do Castelo 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$9.53 €8.22

27.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$51.7 €44.56

4.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$9.31 €8.03

19.12%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.58 €1.36

159.49%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.86 €1.60

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.28 €1.10

8.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.64 €1.41

103.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$1.95 €1.68

201.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.04 €0.90

77.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.99 €0.86

220.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.36 €1.17

52.21%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.98 €2.57

-1.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$13.78 €11.88

-8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.32 €7.17

21.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$15.35 €13.23

4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.07 €1.79

63.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.42 €1.23

46.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.74 €1.50

21.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.32 €2.00

3.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.51 €1.30

41.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.78 €1.53

12.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.64 €1.41

-5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.68 €0.58

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$6.11 €5.26

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.73 €4.07

275.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.35 €1.16

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.68 €2.31

72.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$3.63 €3.13

-89.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$57.1 €49.20

-62.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$3.79 €3.27

-45.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.49 €1.29

-61.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$18.94 €16.32

-67.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$2.18 €1.88

-28.90%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$34.3K €29.6K

-33.33%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$39.9K €34.4K

-31.66%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$86.2 €74.3

-21.80%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$21.10 €18.19

45.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$41.43 €35.71

-10.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$58.0 €49.96

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$20.19 €17.40

34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$9.07 €7.82

-21.61%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$468 €403

-2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,739 €5,809

103.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$79.5 €68.5

-6.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$36.86 €31.77

54.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$76.5 €66.0

50.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$88.9 €76.6

36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$851 €734

34.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$740 €638

-4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$2,020 €1,741

27.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,605 €1,384

-19.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,682 €1,450

138.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,472 €1,269

44.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,233 €1,063

-12.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.7

205.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Viana do Castelo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $851 in Viana do Castelo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Viana do Castelo pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $52.0 in Viana do Castelo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $249 per month, with Viana do Castelo 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 Viana do Castelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Viana do Castelo differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,553 including rent). Viana do Castelo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Viana do Castelo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $851 in Viana do Castelo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Viana do Castelo runs roughly 169% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $468 in Viana do Castelo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,553 in Viana do Castelo versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Viana do Castelo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Viana do Castelo 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Viana do Castelo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Viana do Castelo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.