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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $740 in Volta Redonda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,196 in Volta Redonda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Volta Redonda.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than in Volta Redonda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Volta Redonda is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.08 R$36.07

84.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$26.58 R$135

102.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.49 R$27.93

76.32%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.09 R$10.64

78.95%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.18 R$6.03

37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.91 R$4.65

27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.19 R$11.17

47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.87 R$14.60

65.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.82 R$4.19

101.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.47 R$7.46

87.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.11 R$5.64

68.47%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.18 R$11.08

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.13 R$56.7

-8.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.33 R$22.03

90.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.96 R$45.61

31.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.71 R$13.78

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.90 R$9.67

-4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.69 R$8.60

18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.83 R$9.30

9.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.44 R$7.31

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.31 R$6.65

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.00 R$5.10

46.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.20 R$1.02

440.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.48 R$12.64

75.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$8.46 R$43.09

100.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.27 R$6.45

36.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.24 R$6.30

188.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.73 R$3.73

-46.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$38.23 R$195

-51.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.07 R$5.44

24.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.76 R$3.87

-63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$9.42 R$47.96

-44.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.10 R$5.60

21.82%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.8K R$111.2K

-11.10%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$28.3K R$143.8K

-15.64%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$54.2 R$276

-24.93%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.96 R$50.7

169.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$20.01 R$102

52.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$17.87 R$91.0

195.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$21.96 R$112

21.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.38 R$22.28

48.63%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$178 R$906

140.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$15.4K R$78.2K

-31.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$41.81 R$213

36.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$35.79 R$182

27.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$44.98 R$229

131.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$74.3 R$378

45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$244 R$1,244

310.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$180 R$917

245.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$593 R$3,019

255.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$321 R$1,632

279.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$819 R$4,171

374.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$672 R$3,420

202.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$288 R$1,466

260.52%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Volta Redonda: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $244 in Volta Redonda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 261% 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 $292 vs $198 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 97% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $740 including rent). Volta Redonda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 261% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $244 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 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $178 in Volta Redonda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $740 in Volta Redonda versus $1,456 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 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.