Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $746 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,587 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais costs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is 44% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 R$18.00

$13.16 MX$229

-72.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.25 R$72.1

$53.6 MX$932

-73.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 R$34.47

$9.55 MX$166

-28.59%

Cappuccino

$1.56 R$7.88

$3.72 MX$64.8

-58.06%

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

$0.97 R$4.93

$1.57 MX$27.28

-38.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.25

$1.16 MX$20.12

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.96

$3.18 MX$55.4

-44.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 R$15.77

$4.63 MX$80.6

-32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R$4.48

$1.71 MX$29.67

-47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 R$7.38

$2.62 MX$45.54

-44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.80

$1.89 MX$32.87

-18.52%

Eggs

$1.91 R$9.64

$2.60 MX$45.17

-26.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R$41.63

$9.91 MX$172

-16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 R$17.30

$8.22 MX$143

-58.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 R$37.60

$11.78 MX$205

-36.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 R$11.10

$3.00 MX$52.1

-26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.79

$1.80 MX$31.32

-25.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.40

$2.07 MX$36.08

-48.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.97 MX$34.23

-31.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.19

$2.07 MX$36.05

-50.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 R$4.27

$2.17 MX$37.84

-61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.30

$1.40 MX$24.41

-53.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$1.07 MX$18.70

-41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 R$10.81

$4.12 MX$71.7

-48.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 R$30.21

$17.42 MX$303

-65.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.16

$1.68 MX$29.16

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R$11.09

$3.65 MX$63.5

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.65

$0.38 MX$6.62

142.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 R$194

$18.71 MX$326

105.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 R$4.62

$1.33 MX$23.13

-31.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 R$5.67

$0.30 MX$5.27

273.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 R$18.08

$5.51 MX$95.9

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.31

$1.31 MX$22.72

-19.85%

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

$10.9K R$55.3K

$19.2K MX$333.5K

-42.99%

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

$26.9K R$135.9K

$23.7K MX$413.3K

13.12%

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

$66.0 R$334

$41.14 MX$716

60.48%

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

$14.48 R$73.2

$27.74 MX$483

-47.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.17 R$107

$30.13 MX$524

-29.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.23 R$112

$53.7 MX$935

-58.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 R$107

$25.98 MX$452

-18.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 R$35.81

$6.49 MX$113

9.09%

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

$212 R$1,074

$437 MX$7,598

-51.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,779 R$8,997

$10.5K MX$182.0K

-82.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 R$263

$58.3 MX$1,015

-10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 R$188

$45.86 MX$798

-18.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 R$366

$101 MX$1,765

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.7 R$327

$107 MX$1,854

-39.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 R$1,584

$1,005 MX$17.5K

-68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,112

$634 MX$11.0K

-65.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 R$2,969

$2,148 MX$37.4K

-72.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R$2,037

$1,247 MX$21.7K

-67.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,492 R$7,549

$3,859 MX$67.2K

-61.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,189 R$6,013

$2,085 MX$36.3K

-42.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.83

11.34

-4.50%

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

Last update for Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: July 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $291 per month, with Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and Mexico City differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($746 vs $1,481 including rent). Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,119 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and $2,222 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $313 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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 $212 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $437 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $746 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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.

Safety-wise, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.