Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Natal and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Natal: $793 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Natal
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Natal Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Natal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$793

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Natal and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Natal and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Natal versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Natal $793
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Natal versus $2,582 in Mexico City.

Natal $1,240
Mexico City $2,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,688 in Natal versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Natal $1,688
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Natal costs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Natal is 42% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 R$29.73

$10.59 MX$197

-48.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 R$200

$52.0 MX$965

-29.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 R$38.35

$10.73 MX$199

-34.30%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$10.11

$3.80 MX$70.5

-51.05%

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

$1.09 R$5.90

$1.61 MX$29.95

-32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.40

$1.21 MX$22.51

-48.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 R$8.69

$3.18 MX$59.0

-49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.75

$5.44 MX$101

-60.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R$6.22

$1.72 MX$31.90

-33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R$5.96

$2.97 MX$55.1

-62.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.64

$1.93 MX$35.77

-46.11%

Eggs

$1.85 R$10.08

$2.77 MX$51.5

-33.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 R$36.09

$11.67 MX$217

-43.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 R$21.19

$9.48 MX$176

-58.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R$40.65

$15.37 MX$286

-51.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R$11.46

$3.10 MX$57.7

-31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 R$4.25

$1.96 MX$36.41

-60.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 R$4.85

$1.98 MX$36.81

-55.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.19

$2.34 MX$43.37

-51.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 R$5.17

$2.02 MX$37.58

-52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.53

$1.82 MX$33.88

-43.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 R$2.89

$1.54 MX$28.68

-65.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$3.12

$1.31 MX$24.37

-56.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 R$9.08

$5.35 MX$99.4

-68.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 R$38.88

$16.19 MX$301

-55.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$7.08

$1.96 MX$36.38

-33.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$14.07

$4.35 MX$80.8

-40.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.13

$0.30 MX$5.66

213.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.24 R$170

$19.49 MX$362

60.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 R$4.79

$1.92 MX$35.61

-54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 R$3.22

$0.47 MX$8.78

25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 R$33.21

$5.41 MX$100

12.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.35

$1.48 MX$27.55

-20.95%

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

$21.6K R$117.6K

$21.4K MX$396.9K

1.19%

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

$31.7K R$172.1K

$23.8K MX$441.2K

33.28%

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

$51.7 R$281

$62.0 MX$1,151

-16.60%

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

$15.31 R$83.3

$28.47 MX$529

-46.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 R$99.2

$34.11 MX$634

-46.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.57 R$117

$58.4 MX$1,084

-63.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.22 R$164

$24.50 MX$455

23.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 R$38.92

$6.59 MX$122

8.65%

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

$103 R$562

$434 MX$8,064

-76.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,376 R$23.8K

$14.0K MX$260.7K

-68.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.78 R$243

$68.4 MX$1,269

-34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 R$244

$54.8 MX$1,018

-18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 R$372

$111 MX$2,059

-38.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 R$382

$116 MX$2,154

-39.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 R$2,378

$1,179 MX$21.9K

-62.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 R$1,431

$771 MX$14.3K

-65.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 R$4,257

$2,570 MX$47.7K

-69.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 R$2,706

$1,420 MX$26.4K

-64.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,377 R$7,489

$3,586 MX$66.6K

-61.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$905 R$4,918

$2,064 MX$38.3K

-56.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 R$2,769

$1,003 MX$18.6K

-49.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

11.35

2.82%

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

Last update for Natal: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Natal

$263 33.2%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 193% $508

Groceries & Markets

Natal

$160 20.2%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 102% $163

Eating Out

Natal

$106 13.4%

Mexico City

$201 12% 88.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Natal

$103 13%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 53.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Natal

$85 10.8%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 46.1% $39

Getting Around

Natal

$39 4.9%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 35.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Natal

$36 4.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 99.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Natal and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Natal vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $320 per month, with Natal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Natal

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

05:30 5:30 AM

3 h behind Natal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

751,300

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Natal Mexico City 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Natal
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Natal vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $793 in Natal and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Natal is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Natal. 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: $437 in Natal versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 39% less than in Natal. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $107 in Natal versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Natal wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.