Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Teresina and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Teresina: $704 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Teresina
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Teresina Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Teresina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$704

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $704 in Teresina versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Teresina $704
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Teresina versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Teresina $1,155
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,605 in Teresina versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Teresina $1,605
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Teresina costs roughly 58% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Teresina is 48% below, Mexico City is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.39 R$29.60

$10.59 MX$199

-49.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 R$102

$52.0 MX$978

-64.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 R$32.10

$10.73 MX$202

-45.48%

Cappuccino

$1.96 R$10.75

$3.80 MX$71.4

-48.42%

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

$0.98 R$5.39

$1.61 MX$30.35

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.89

$1.21 MX$22.81

-41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 R$7.73

$3.18 MX$59.8

-55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 R$16.00

$5.44 MX$102

-46.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 R$7.30

$1.72 MX$32.32

-22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 R$11.76

$2.97 MX$55.8

-27.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.62

$1.93 MX$36.24

-27.98%

Eggs

$3.94 R$21.61

$2.77 MX$52.2

42.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.98 R$38.31

$11.67 MX$220

-40.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 R$21.26

$9.48 MX$178

-59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 R$33.91

$15.37 MX$289

-59.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 R$9.55

$3.10 MX$58.4

-43.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 R$4.64

$1.96 MX$36.90

-56.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.84

$1.98 MX$37.30

-55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.59

$2.34 MX$43.95

-48.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.80

$2.02 MX$38.08

-47.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.86

$1.82 MX$34.34

-51.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 R$2.77

$1.54 MX$29.06

-67.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.74

$1.31 MX$24.70

7.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 R$16.91

$5.35 MX$101

-42.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 R$46.82

$16.19 MX$305

-47.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$7.08

$1.96 MX$36.87

-34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$14.73

$4.35 MX$81.9

-38.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.80

$0.30 MX$5.74

190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.91 R$225

$19.49 MX$367

109.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 R$8.23

$1.92 MX$36.08

-21.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.26

$0.47 MX$8.90

65.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 R$36.95

$5.41 MX$102

24.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$6.24

$1.48 MX$27.92

-22.97%

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

$21.4K R$117.4K

$21.4K MX$402.2K

0.12%

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

$30.2K R$166.0K

$23.8K MX$447.1K

27.31%

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

$73.5 R$403

$62.0 MX$1,167

18.49%

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

$9.78 R$53.7

$28.47 MX$536

-65.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.34 R$89.7

$34.11 MX$642

-52.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.75 R$108

$58.4 MX$1,099

-66.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 R$66.2

$24.50 MX$461

-50.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 R$41.49

$6.59 MX$124

14.72%

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

$538 R$2,952

$434 MX$8,172

23.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,591 R$36.2K

$14.0K MX$264.1K

-53.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.57 R$217

$68.4 MX$1,286

-42.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 R$150

$54.8 MX$1,031

-50.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 R$391

$111 MX$2,086

-35.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.07 R$253

$116 MX$2,183

-60.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 R$833

$1,179 MX$22.2K

-87.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 R$782

$771 MX$14.5K

-81.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 R$2,121

$2,570 MX$48.4K

-84.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 R$2,167

$1,420 MX$26.7K

-72.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,248 R$6,847

$3,586 MX$67.5K

-65.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$701 R$3,847

$2,064 MX$38.8K

-66.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$366 R$2,011

$1,003 MX$18.9K

-63.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-3.08%

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

Last update for Teresina: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Teresina

$191 27.1%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 69.4% $133

Accommodation & Living

Teresina

$142 20.2%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 441% $628

Eating Out

Teresina

$104 14.7%

Mexico City

$201 12% 93.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Teresina

$100 14.1%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 25.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Teresina

$83 11.8%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 89.9% $75

Getting Around

Teresina

$50 7.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 49.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Teresina

$35 5%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 105% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Teresina and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Teresina vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $324 per month, with Teresina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Teresina

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

03:50 3:50 AM

3 h behind Teresina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

866,300

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Teresina Mexico City 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Teresina
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $704 in Teresina and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Teresina is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Teresina. 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: $152 in Teresina versus $1,179 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 52% less than in Teresina. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $538 in Teresina versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $704 in Teresina versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Teresina but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Teresina 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.

It comes down to priorities – Teresina wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.