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: $1,586 in Silves versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,340 in Silves versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,094 in Silves versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Silves is roughly 9% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Silves 19% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 €10.23

$13.07 MX$228

-10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.86 €40.16

$53.8 MX$936

-14.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €8.07

$9.68 MX$169

-4.86%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.88

$3.74 MX$65.1

-42.78%

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

$1.92 €1.68

$1.62 MX$28.13

18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.16 MX$20.23

18.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 €2.08

$3.23 MX$56.2

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$4.74 MX$82.5

-27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.97

$1.65 MX$28.68

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.37

$2.75 MX$47.95

-43.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.87 MX$32.63

-10.16%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.79

$2.50 MX$43.54

27.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 €9.74

$10.20 MX$178

9.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 €6.50

$8.25 MX$144

-9.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 €12.14

$11.82 MX$206

17.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$3.01 MX$52.4

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.81 MX$31.54

-20.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$2.00 MX$34.81

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$2.00 MX$34.74

30.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 €1.32

$2.08 MX$36.30

-27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.70

$2.27 MX$39.56

-14.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.46 MX$25.36

7.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$1.08 MX$18.74

-24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 €5.34

$4.35 MX$75.7

40.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 €4.14

$16.99 MX$296

-72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.11

$1.73 MX$30.18

-27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.04

$3.58 MX$62.3

-34.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.08

$0.39 MX$6.74

510.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.31 €36.18

$18.69 MX$325

121.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 €3.58

$1.33 MX$23.08

207.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.28 MX$4.87

189.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.23 €15.09

$5.25 MX$91.5

228.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.34 MX$23.27

47.01%

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

$34.4K €30.1K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

77.05%

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

$39.8K €34.8K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

66.81%

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

$134 €117

$40.69 MX$709

229.71%

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

$20.97 €18.36

$26.87 MX$468

-21.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.81 €37.50

$30.51 MX$531

40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.35 €38.84

$52.8 MX$919

-15.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 €7.61

$6.51 MX$113

33.49%

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

$481 €421

$428 MX$7,454

12.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,283 €7,254

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-21.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 €65.5

$57.3 MX$997

30.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.99 €34.14

$45.50 MX$792

-14.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €78.4

$104 MX$1,812

-13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 €87.5

$108 MX$1,878

-7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €802

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 €631

$623 MX$10.8K

15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,303

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-29.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €1,006

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-5.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,502 €3,067

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-9.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 €1,812

$2,033 MX$35.4K

1.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$973 €852

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-6.25%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Silves and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 7% 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 $243 vs $292 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,586 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $916 in Silves versus $1,003 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 121% less than in Silves. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Silves versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,586 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 9% less than in Silves. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.