Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,572 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $1,668 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,192 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,811 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $3,557 in Mexico City.

Living in Sao Joao da Madeira costs roughly 6% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sao Joao da Madeira 17% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 €9.15

$12.03 MX$213

-13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.66 €18.15

$52.8 MX$937

-60.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 €6.95

$11.69 MX$207

-32.34%

Cappuccino

$1.15 €1.01

$3.87 MX$68.7

-70.28%

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

$1.19 €1.04

$1.75 MX$31.05

-32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.89

$1.39 MX$24.74

-27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.13

$3.36 MX$59.6

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.09

$5.77 MX$102

-58.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.81 MX$32.04

-49.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 €0.32

$3.08 MX$54.7

-88.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 €1.05

$2.13 MX$37.78

-44.13%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.53

$2.98 MX$52.8

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 €7.54

$12.53 MX$222

-31.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 €5.02

$10.24 MX$182

-44.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 €5.99

$15.92 MX$282

-57.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$3.39 MX$60.1

-38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.25

$2.11 MX$37.37

-32.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 €1.62

$2.13 MX$37.73

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.51

$2.47 MX$43.77

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.04 MX$36.16

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.65

$2.01 MX$35.72

-6.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.12

$1.59 MX$28.25

-20.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.88

$1.33 MX$23.58

-24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €5.92

$5.49 MX$97.4

22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 €4.13

$17.52 MX$311

-73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.09

$2.01 MX$35.74

-38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.46

$4.74 MX$84.1

-64.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$0.34 MX$5.96

585.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.47 €38.20

$21.07 MX$374

106.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.83

$2.05 MX$36.41

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 €1.54

$0.61 MX$10.79

186.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.99 €14.93

$5.70 MX$101

198.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.67

$1.59 MX$28.20

19.50%

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

$34.5K €30.3K

$22.9K MX$406.1K

50.51%

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

$39.3K €34.5K

$26.4K MX$467.9K

49.00%

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

$111 €97.7

$64.2 MX$1,140

73.16%

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

$18.24 €16.03

$29.42 MX$522

-38.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.96 €41.26

$36.83 MX$653

27.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 €34.56

$58.7 MX$1,042

-33.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.37 €15.26

$26.54 MX$471

-34.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 €5.11

$6.95 MX$123

-16.26%

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

$342 €301

$463 MX$8,210

-26.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €9,110

$13.4K MX$237.1K

-22.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 €60.6

$75.4 MX$1,338

-8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 €33.35

$54.2 MX$962

-29.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 €75.9

$111 MX$1,972

-22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €88.8

$122 MX$2,167

-17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 €888

$1,133 MX$20.1K

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 €685

$698 MX$12.4K

11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 €1,369

$2,442 MX$43.3K

-36.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,086

$1,303 MX$23.1K

-5.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,170 €2,785

$3,910 MX$69.4K

-18.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 €2,067

$2,069 MX$36.7K

13.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 €967

$1,052 MX$18.7K

4.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

11.3

-68.58%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: September 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Sao Joao da Madeira and $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Madeira pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $343 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira 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

Sao Joao da Madeira vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Joao da Madeira and Mexico City differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,572 vs $1,668 including rent). Sao Joao da Madeira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Sao Joao da Madeira, 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: $1,010 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Joao da Madeira runs roughly 106% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $342 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $463 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,572 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $1,668 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Madeira but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Madeira 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, Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Sao Joao da Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.