Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Mexico City

For one person, living costs are similar in Silves and in Mexico City: $1,629 and $1,567 a month, rent and utilities included.

Silves
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,629
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,629 in Silves versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

  • Silves $1,629
  • Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,393 in Silves versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

  • Silves $2,393
  • Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,157 in Silves versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

  • Silves $3,157
  • Mexico City $3,333

Living in Silves is roughly 4% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Silves 21% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.54 €12.04
$10.75 MX$199
25.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.10 €41.90
$50.3 MX$929
-6.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.30 €8.28
$11.10 MX$205
-16.22%
Cappuccino
$1.92 €1.71
$3.68 MX$68.1
-47.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$1.65 MX$30.42
16.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.30 MX$24.08
11.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.82 €2.51
$3.32 MX$61.3
-15.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.04
$5.54 MX$102
-38.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.77 MX$32.68
-37.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 €1.30
$3.05 MX$56.4
-51.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 €1.40
$2.01 MX$37.20
-21.89%
Eggs
$3.39 €3.02
$2.77 MX$51.1
22.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.90 €10.58
$11.91 MX$220
-0.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.31 €6.50
$9.33 MX$172
-21.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.47 €12.87
$15.02 MX$278
-3.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$3.08 MX$56.8
-26.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.95 MX$35.97
-31.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$2.03 MX$37.54
-12.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.21 MX$40.92
16.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.02 MX$37.41
-9.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$1.82 MX$33.67
4.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.52 MX$28.07
-1.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.70
$1.28 MX$23.65
-38.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.98 €5.32
$5.27 MX$97.4
13.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.48 €3.98
$16.12 MX$298
-72.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.95 MX$36.05
-37.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.25 MX$78.6
-50.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.31 MX$5.82
635.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.98 €37.35
$19.85 MX$367
111.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.80 €3.38
$2.00 MX$36.93
90.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 €1.03
$0.53 MX$9.86
116.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.40 €16.36
$5.62 MX$104
227.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.52 MX$28.07
36.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.2K
$21.0K MX$388.7K
61.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.0K €30.3K
$25.2K MX$465.3K
35.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 €106
$62.5 MX$1,155
91.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.84 €17.65
$28.77 MX$532
-31.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.39 €32.36
$34.45 MX$637
5.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.12 €35.69
$57.1 MX$1,055
-29.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.69 €13.07
$24.81 MX$458
-40.79%
Cinema Ticket
$8.33 €7.41
$6.67 MX$123
24.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$419 €372
$431 MX$7,964
-2.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K €10.0K
$11.7K MX$216.9K
-4.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.9 €70.2
$70.8 MX$1,308
11.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.89 €32.81
$51.8 MX$958
-28.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 €75.1
$109 MX$2,011
-22.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 €93.0
$112 MX$2,076
-6.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 €840
$1,051 MX$19.4K
-10.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$761 €676
$665 MX$12.3K
14.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,546 €1,375
$2,346 MX$43.3K
-34.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,194 €1,062
$1,227 MX$22.7K
-2.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,242 €2,884
$3,554 MX$65.7K
-8.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 €1,993
$1,977 MX$36.5K
13.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Silves
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$948 €843
$975 MX$18.0K
-2.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
11.3
-67.52%

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

Last update for Silves: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Silves
$761
Mexico City
$665 12.6% $95
Groceries & Markets
Silves
$244
Mexico City
$323 32% $78
Eating Out
Silves
$194
Mexico City
$203 4.8% $9.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Silves
$176
Mexico City
$126 28.5% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Silves
$137
Mexico City
$155 12.8% $18
Getting Around
Silves
$61
Mexico City
$26 57.5% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Silves
$57
Mexico City
$70 24.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Silves and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Silves vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $323 per month, with Silves cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Silves
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
00:46 12:46 AM
17:46 5:46 PM
7 h behind Silves
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,776
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Silves Mexico City 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Silves
  • 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
Silves vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Silves and in Mexico City?
Silves and Mexico City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,629 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 3% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Silves and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $944 in Silves versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Silves and in Mexico City?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 111% less than in Silves. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Silves and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $419 in Silves versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,629 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.
How does quality of life compare between Silves and Mexico City?
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.
Is Silves or Mexico City safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Silves or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Silves. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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