Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Brazil Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,251 per month in Mexico vs $847 in Brazil, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,003 per month in Mexico vs $1,348 in Brazil, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Mexico vs $1,848 in Brazil, rent included.

The cost of living in Mexico is about 48% higher than in Brazil on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Mexico and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Mexico 9% lower, Brazil 38% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in Mexico ($791–$2,805) than in Brazil ($591–$1,421), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 MX$200

$6.72 R$34.65

73.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.88 MX$791

$32.91 R$170

39.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 MX$173

$7.58 R$39.04

32.32%

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$65.2

$2.00 R$10.30

89.00%

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

$1.57 MX$27.08

$1.20 R$6.19

30.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.75

$0.73 R$3.76

49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 MX$51.8

$1.94 R$9.98

54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MX$80.0

$2.91 R$14.99

59.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$30.31

$1.07 R$5.52

64.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 MX$51.6

$1.70 R$8.74

75.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.45

$1.30 R$6.72

40.00%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.99

$2.27 R$11.72

17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 MX$170

$9.19 R$47.34

7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 MX$149

$4.31 R$22.20

100.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 MX$215

$8.25 R$42.52

51.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.2

$2.18 R$11.25

38.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.60

$1.34 R$6.93

28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.32

$1.24 R$6.37

79.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.53 R$7.91

40.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.73

$1.17 R$6.03

82.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.30

$1.12 R$5.75

88.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$26.11

$0.84 R$4.32

79.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$20.15

$0.80 R$4.14

46.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 MX$81.6

$2.38 R$12.25

99.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 MX$200

$7.66 R$39.46

51.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$32.73

$1.30 R$6.72

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 MX$60.8

$2.37 R$12.24

48.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.86

$1.01 R$5.23

-31.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.55 MX$509

$44.31 R$228

-33.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 MX$50.7

$1.29 R$6.66

127.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 MX$49.90

$0.92 R$4.75

214.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.69 MX$202

$7.58 R$39.05

54.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.75

$1.26 R$6.49

18.25%

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

$22.3K MX$384.7K

$22.9K R$117.8K

-2.43%

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

$25.9K MX$447.2K

$32.1K R$165.6K

-19.29%

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

$73.0 MX$1,258

$81.3 R$419

-10.29%

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

$24.98 MX$431

$13.24 R$68.2

88.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.02 MX$535

$20.68 R$107

50.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 MX$690

$25.06 R$129

59.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 MX$325

$25.92 R$134

-27.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.58 MX$96.3

$7.15 R$36.81

-21.96%

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

$279 MX$4,805

$328 R$1,691

-15.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,667 MX$115.0K

$8,652 R$44.6K

-22.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 MX$1,055

$52.2 R$269

17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.67 MX$770

$48.15 R$248

-7.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,813

$86.8 R$447

21.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 MX$1,655

$68.8 R$354

39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 MX$13.0K

$378 R$1,947

98.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,667

$242 R$1,247

107.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 MX$24.7K

$707 R$3,642

102.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.0K

$481 R$2,477

93.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,673 MX$46.1K

$1,887 R$9,723

41.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 MX$27.5K

$1,290 R$6,644

23.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 MX$14.1K

$515 R$2,656

59.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

11.19

2.14%

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

Last update for Mexico: September 13, 2026

Last update for Brazil: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $660 in Mexico vs $342 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,103 in Mexico City and $480 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $778 in Mexico vs $486 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 93% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 57% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 225% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 60% higher in Mexico.

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 vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 79% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Mexico, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Mexico consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Brazil, contributing to the overall 79% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Mexico it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.