Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Jose dos Campos and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos: $1,039 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose dos Campos
Learn more

Sao Jose dos Campos Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Jose dos Campos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,039

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Sao Jose dos Campos and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,039 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Sao Jose dos Campos $1,039
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,660 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Sao Jose dos Campos $1,660
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,282 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Sao Jose dos Campos $2,282
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Sao Jose dos Campos costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Jose dos Campos is 23% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 R$34.57

$10.75 MX$199

-36.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.30 R$204

$50.3 MX$929

-19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 R$45.61

$11.10 MX$205

-18.92%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R$11.54

$3.68 MX$68.1

-38.04%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.65 MX$30.42

-2.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.04

$1.30 MX$24.08

-8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R$14.56

$3.32 MX$61.3

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 R$22.24

$5.54 MX$102

-20.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.77 MX$32.68

-28.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 R$10.43

$3.05 MX$56.4

-32.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$2.01 MX$37.20

-43.28%

Eggs

$2.71 R$13.72

$2.77 MX$51.1

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 R$44.89

$11.91 MX$220

-25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.34

$9.33 MX$172

-52.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.74 R$54.5

$15.02 MX$278

-28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 R$14.18

$3.08 MX$56.8

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.20

$1.95 MX$35.97

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.01

$2.03 MX$37.54

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.70

$2.21 MX$40.92

-13.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.02 MX$37.41

-29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.98

$1.82 MX$33.67

-24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 R$4.85

$1.52 MX$28.07

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$4.02

$1.28 MX$23.65

-38.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R$14.53

$5.27 MX$97.4

-45.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.75 R$44.36

$16.12 MX$298

-45.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 R$8.45

$1.95 MX$36.05

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 R$23.67

$4.25 MX$78.6

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 R$6.18

$0.31 MX$5.82

293.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.01 R$193

$19.85 MX$367

91.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 R$6.57

$2.00 MX$36.93

-35.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 R$7.18

$0.53 MX$9.86

167.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.37 R$47.51

$5.62 MX$104

66.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.34

$1.52 MX$28.07

-17.76%

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

$23.6K R$119.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

12.31%

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

$34.2K R$173.2K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

35.72%

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

$44.36 R$225

$62.5 MX$1,155

-29.01%

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

$14.33 R$72.7

$28.77 MX$532

-50.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 R$94.8

$34.45 MX$637

-45.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.25 R$153

$57.1 MX$1,055

-47.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 R$183

$24.81 MX$458

45.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.06 R$40.86

$6.67 MX$123

20.84%

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

$441 R$2,237

$431 MX$7,964

2.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,777 R$39.4K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-33.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R$283

$70.8 MX$1,308

-21.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 R$296

$51.8 MX$958

12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 R$487

$109 MX$2,011

-11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 R$426

$112 MX$2,076

-25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,485

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-53.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R$1,832

$665 MX$12.3K

-45.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 R$4,943

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-58.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 R$3,336

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-46.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,102 R$10.7K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-40.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,460 R$7,400

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-26.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$812 R$4,115

$975 MX$18.0K

-16.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

11.3

-1.59%

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

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Jose dos Campos

$361 34.8%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 84% $304

Groceries & Markets

Sao Jose dos Campos

$226 21.8%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 42.5% $96

Eating Out

Sao Jose dos Campos

$143 13.8%

Mexico City

$203 13% 41.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Jose dos Campos

$132 12.8%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 16.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Jose dos Campos

$77 7.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 62.4% $48

Getting Around

Sao Jose dos Campos

$51 4.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 49.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Jose dos Campos

$46 4.5%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 51.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Sao Jose dos Campos and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Sao Jose dos Campos vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $323 per month, with Sao Jose dos Campos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Jose dos Campos

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

3 h behind Sao Jose dos Campos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,054

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Jose dos Campos Mexico City 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Jose dos Campos
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

Sao Jose dos Campos vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Jose dos Campos and Mexico City differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,039 vs $1,567 including rent). Sao Jose dos Campos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Mexico City. 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: $490 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Jose dos Campos runs roughly 91% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,039 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Jose dos Campos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Jose dos Campos 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.

Expats usually find Sao Jose dos Campos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.