Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Silves versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,343 in Silves versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,045 in Silves versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Silves is roughly 12% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Silves 22% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.64 €10.02

$13.18 MX$228

-11.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.84 €39.46

$53.9 MX$931

-14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 €7.82

$9.42 MX$163

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$2.22 €1.91

$3.55 MX$61.3

-37.46%

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

$1.91 €1.65

$1.62 MX$27.95

17.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.11 MX$19.25

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 €1.98

$3.12 MX$53.9

-26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.63 MX$80.0

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.70 MX$29.40

-34.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.72 MX$46.97

-41.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.91 MX$33.04

-12.04%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.74

$2.54 MX$43.82

25.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 €9.94

$10.03 MX$173

15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.68 €6.62

$8.09 MX$140

-5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 €12.15

$11.62 MX$201

21.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.97 MX$51.3

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.81 MX$31.21

-21.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.01 MX$34.79

-6.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.03 MX$35.16

24.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.12 MX$36.71

-31.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.27 MX$39.21

-15.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.40 MX$24.20

17.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.75

$1.13 MX$19.53

-22.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.20 €5.33

$4.27 MX$73.8

45.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 €4.57

$15.56 MX$269

-65.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.76 MX$30.36

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.60 MX$62.1

-34.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.38 MX$6.62

521.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.31 €35.56

$19.18 MX$331

115.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.51

$1.38 MX$23.77

195.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.28 MX$4.78

207.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €14.73

$5.45 MX$94.1

213.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.30 MX$22.53

52.31%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

85.83%

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

$39.4K €33.9K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

70.49%

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

$137 €118

$40.86 MX$706

234.12%

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

$21.36 €18.39

$26.81 MX$463

-20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.71 €35.90

$29.96 MX$518

39.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 €37.27

$52.0 MX$899

-16.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$8.61 €7.41

$6.30 MX$109

36.67%

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

$473 €407

$436 MX$7,536

8.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,237 €7,091

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 €63.0

$56.7 MX$979

29.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 €33.42

$44.38 MX$767

-12.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 €79.1

$103 MX$1,779

-10.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 €83.3

$106 MX$1,823

-8.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 €783

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 €641

$631 MX$10.9K

18.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 €1,290

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 €981

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-8.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,383 €2,912

$3,903 MX$67.4K

-13.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 €2,016

$2,064 MX$35.7K

13.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 €852

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-11.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.34

-55.82%

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

Last update for Silves: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Silves and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Silves vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $288 per month, with Silves 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

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

Silves and Mexico City differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 13% less. 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: $909 in Silves versus $1,022 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 115% less than in Silves. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $473 in Silves versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,641 in Silves, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Silves. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Silves 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Silves. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.