Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Iguacu and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $694 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$694

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nova Iguacu 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 Nova Iguacu and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $694 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Nova Iguacu $694
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,129 in Nova Iguacu versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Nova Iguacu $1,129
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,563 in Nova Iguacu versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Nova Iguacu $1,563
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Nova Iguacu costs roughly 59% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nova Iguacu is 49% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 R$18.48

$10.59 MX$199

-68.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.00 R$154

$52.0 MX$978

-46.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 R$38.72

$10.73 MX$202

-34.20%

Cappuccino

$1.79 R$9.82

$3.80 MX$71.4

-52.89%

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

$1.08 R$5.94

$1.61 MX$30.35

-32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.74

$1.21 MX$22.81

-58.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 R$8.32

$3.18 MX$59.8

-52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 R$7.86

$5.44 MX$102

-73.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$6.16

$1.72 MX$32.32

-34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 R$7.86

$2.97 MX$55.8

-51.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 R$6.05

$1.93 MX$36.24

-43.01%

Eggs

$1.87 R$10.28

$2.77 MX$52.2

-32.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 R$41.11

$11.67 MX$220

-35.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.66 R$14.59

$9.48 MX$178

-71.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.52 R$35.79

$15.37 MX$289

-57.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.92

$3.10 MX$58.4

-59.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.97

$1.96 MX$36.90

-35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.95

$1.98 MX$37.30

-54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$9.03

$2.34 MX$43.95

-29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 R$5.24

$2.02 MX$38.08

-52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 R$5.13

$1.82 MX$34.34

-48.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 R$2.12

$1.54 MX$29.06

-74.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 R$2.11

$1.31 MX$24.70

-70.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 R$9.78

$5.35 MX$101

-66.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 R$30.07

$16.19 MX$305

-66.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.96

$1.96 MX$36.87

-54.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 R$6.88

$4.35 MX$81.9

-71.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 R$7.48

$0.30 MX$5.74

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.09 R$253

$19.49 MX$367

136.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.78

$1.92 MX$36.08

-45.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 R$6.70

$0.47 MX$8.90

159.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 R$37.32

$5.41 MX$102

25.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.99

$1.48 MX$27.92

-26.35%

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

$22.3K R$122.2K

$21.4K MX$402.2K

4.19%

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

$31.2K R$171.1K

$23.8K MX$447.1K

31.26%

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

$45.05 R$247

$62.0 MX$1,167

-27.33%

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

$11.18 R$61.4

$28.47 MX$536

-60.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.16 R$94.2

$34.11 MX$642

-49.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 R$121

$58.4 MX$1,099

-62.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.33 R$199

$24.50 MX$461

48.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 R$30.69

$6.59 MX$124

-15.17%

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

$67.8 R$372

$434 MX$8,172

-84.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,799 R$9,871

$14.0K MX$264.1K

-87.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R$276

$68.4 MX$1,286

-26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.70 R$190

$54.8 MX$1,031

-36.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 R$329

$111 MX$2,086

-45.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.1 R$308

$116 MX$2,183

-51.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 R$1,668

$1,179 MX$22.2K

-74.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 R$1,122

$771 MX$14.5K

-73.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 R$3,248

$2,570 MX$48.4K

-76.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 R$2,226

$1,420 MX$26.7K

-71.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$884 R$4,851

$3,586 MX$67.5K

-75.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 R$1,218

$1,003 MX$18.9K

-77.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

11.35

-2.03%

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

Last update for Nova Iguacu: 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

Nova Iguacu

$204 29.5%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 277% $566

Groceries & Markets

Nova Iguacu

$147 21.2%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 120% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Nova Iguacu

$90 13%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 74.1% $67

Eating Out

Nova Iguacu

$86 12.4%

Mexico City

$201 12% 132% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nova Iguacu

$73 10.6%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 69.8% $51

Getting Around

Nova Iguacu

$59 8.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 57.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nova Iguacu

$33 4.8%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 115% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Nova Iguacu and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Nova Iguacu vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $324 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

3 h behind Nova Iguacu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

785,867

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nova Iguacu Mexico City 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nova Iguacu
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

Nova Iguacu vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $694 in Nova Iguacu and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Nova Iguacu is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Nova Iguacu. 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: $304 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,179 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 58% less than in Nova Iguacu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $68 in Nova Iguacu versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $694 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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.

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