Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Volta Redonda Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Volta Redonda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $761 in Volta Redonda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,180 in Volta Redonda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,598 in Volta Redonda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than Volta Redonda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Volta Redonda is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.40 R$37.45

78.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$26.60 R$135

102.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.30 R$26.84

77.74%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$2.11 R$10.71

68.25%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$1.19 R$6.03

36.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.85 R$4.31

30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$2.22 R$11.22

40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.82 R$14.27

64.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$0.84 R$4.24

102.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.46 R$7.41

86.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.09 R$5.52

75.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.22 R$11.23

14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$11.14 R$56.4

-9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.40 R$22.26

83.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.15 R$46.32

26.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.71 R$13.71

9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.89 R$9.59

-4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.64 R$8.32

22.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.78 R$9.02

14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.39 R$7.05

52.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.24 R$6.27

83.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.95 R$4.82

47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.17 R$0.85

564.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.53 R$12.82

68.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.91 R$45.10

74.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.27 R$6.41

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.28 R$6.49

181.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.75 R$3.80

-49.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$38.59 R$195

-50.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.06 R$5.37

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.75 R$3.81

-62.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$9.26 R$46.88

-41.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.10 R$5.55

18.18%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$22.0K R$111.5K

-15.12%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$28.1K R$142.3K

-17.70%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$54.2 R$274

-24.56%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$9.84 R$49.85

172.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$20.26 R$103

47.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$18.13 R$91.8

186.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$21.68 R$110

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.59 R$23.23

37.25%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$182 R$922

139.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$15.0K R$76.0K

-30.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$42.11 R$213

34.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$35.44 R$179

25.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$45.24 R$229

127.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$74.3 R$376

41.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$245 R$1,238

317.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$179 R$906

252.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$592 R$2,996

260.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$325 R$1,647

282.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$828 R$4,193

371.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$675 R$3,419

205.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$297 R$1,505

275.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.56

-1.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Volta Redonda: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $245 in Volta Redonda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 275% 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 $27.00 in Volta Redonda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $199 per month, with Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Volta Redonda differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $761 including rent). Volta Redonda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 275% 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 $245 in Volta Redonda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Volta Redonda runs roughly 101% 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 $182 in Volta Redonda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $761 in Volta Redonda versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volta Redonda but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.