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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Sintra versus $1,668 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,390 in Sintra versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,181 in Sintra versus $3,557 in Mexico City.

Living in Sintra costs roughly 4% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sintra 19% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.11 €11.52

$12.03 MX$213

8.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €50.4

$52.8 MX$937

8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.21

$11.69 MX$207

-20.10%

Cappuccino

$1.37 €1.20

$3.87 MX$68.7

-64.60%

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

$1.59 €1.40

$1.75 MX$31.05

-9.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.39 MX$24.74

-13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 €3.03

$3.36 MX$59.6

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.59

$5.77 MX$102

-48.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.81 MX$32.04

-38.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.08 MX$54.7

-58.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 €1.19

$2.13 MX$37.78

-36.62%

Eggs

$2.77 €2.44

$2.98 MX$52.8

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 €8.05

$12.53 MX$222

-26.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 €6.17

$10.24 MX$182

-31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 €9.95

$15.92 MX$282

-28.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 €1.60

$3.39 MX$60.1

-46.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 €1.12

$2.11 MX$37.37

-39.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 €1.23

$2.13 MX$37.73

-34.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.98

$2.47 MX$43.77

-8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.19

$2.04 MX$36.16

-33.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.60

$2.01 MX$35.72

-9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.46

$1.59 MX$28.25

4.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$1.33 MX$23.58

-51.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 €5.68

$5.49 MX$97.4

17.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.54 €3.11

$17.52 MX$311

-79.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$2.01 MX$35.74

-35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$4.74 MX$84.1

-69.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.02

$0.34 MX$5.96

576.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 €36.82

$21.07 MX$374

98.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 €3.26

$2.05 MX$36.41

81.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 €0.46

$0.61 MX$10.79

-14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.89 €14.84

$5.70 MX$101

196.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.59 MX$28.20

30.82%

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

$34.4K €30.2K

$22.9K MX$406.1K

50.29%

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

$39.7K €34.9K

$26.4K MX$467.9K

50.41%

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

$130 €115

$64.2 MX$1,140

103.02%

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

$22.65 €19.90

$29.42 MX$522

-23.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.86 €41.17

$36.83 MX$653

27.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 €37.22

$58.7 MX$1,042

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.10 €15.02

$26.54 MX$471

-35.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 €7.73

$6.95 MX$123

26.62%

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

$640 €562

$463 MX$8,210

38.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,336 €5,567

$13.4K MX$237.1K

-52.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 €67.4

$75.4 MX$1,338

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.59 €40.93

$54.2 MX$962

-14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.2

$111 MX$1,972

-1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 €45.15

$122 MX$2,167

-57.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 €872

$1,133 MX$20.1K

-12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 €683

$698 MX$12.4K

11.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,390

$2,442 MX$43.3K

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 €1,050

$1,303 MX$23.1K

-8.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 €2,789

$3,910 MX$69.4K

-18.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,321 €2,039

$2,069 MX$36.7K

12.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,411 €1,240

$1,052 MX$18.7K

34.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

11.3

-68.67%

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

Last update for Sintra: September 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Sintra and $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sintra pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Sintra vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $343, with Sintra cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Sintra and Mexico City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,600 vs $1,668 including rent). Sintra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Sintra, 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: $992 in Sintra 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 Sintra runs roughly 99% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $640 in Sintra versus $463 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,600 in Sintra versus $1,668 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sintra but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sintra 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, Sintra 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 Sintra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.