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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $726 in Varginha versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,129 in Varginha versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Varginha versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Varginha costs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varginha is 47% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 R$46.06

$11.83 MX$200

-25.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 R$119

$52.2 MX$884

-56.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 R$35.57

$10.87 MX$184

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$1.00 R$5.20

$4.03 MX$68.2

-75.19%

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

$0.83 R$4.29

$1.71 MX$28.99

-51.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.14

$1.34 MX$22.70

-55.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 R$6.87

$3.39 MX$57.5

-61.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 R$17.56

$5.74 MX$97.3

-41.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.79

$1.89 MX$31.99

-40.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$8.12

$3.17 MX$53.8

-50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.22

$2.05 MX$34.74

-50.73%

Eggs

$1.41 R$7.30

$3.01 MX$51.1

-53.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$42.32

$12.61 MX$214

-35.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 R$22.11

$9.94 MX$169

-57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.71 R$40.03

$16.00 MX$271

-51.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.16

$3.28 MX$55.6

-57.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.10

$2.06 MX$34.87

-33.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.91

$2.09 MX$35.36

-54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.20

$2.50 MX$42.44

-52.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.28

$2.05 MX$34.76

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.05

$1.87 MX$31.70

-48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.38

$1.57 MX$26.66

-70.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.01

$1.39 MX$23.64

-58.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.83

$5.38 MX$91.2

-61.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.88 R$25.35

$17.95 MX$304

-72.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.34

$2.02 MX$34.31

-49.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R$9.08

$4.76 MX$80.7

-63.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.38

$0.36 MX$6.13

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.46 R$195

$20.80 MX$353

80.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.83

$2.06 MX$34.92

-54.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.90

$0.56 MX$9.55

33.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 R$31.46

$5.82 MX$98.6

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.53

$1.54 MX$26.05

-31.17%

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

$22.7K R$117.7K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

0.95%

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

$29.0K R$150.5K

$26.5K MX$448.7K

9.48%

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

$103 R$537

$66.0 MX$1,118

56.66%

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

$4.78 R$24.84

$30.98 MX$525

-84.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.14 R$99.4

$36.20 MX$613

-47.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.36 R$132

$57.5 MX$975

-55.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.91 R$140

$26.75 MX$453

0.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 R$40.88

$7.13 MX$121

10.38%

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

$212 R$1,099

$457 MX$7,738

-53.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,081 R$21.2K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

-69.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.09 R$177

$75.8 MX$1,285

-55.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 R$297

$54.1 MX$917

5.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 R$406

$116 MX$1,974

-32.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 R$297

$122 MX$2,063

-53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$143 R$741

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-87.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 R$581

$726 MX$12.3K

-84.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,349

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-89.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 R$1,250

$1,331 MX$22.6K

-81.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,617 R$8,397

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-58.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,117 R$5,799

$2,149 MX$36.4K

-48.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$446 R$2,318

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-58.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-11.89%

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

Last update for Varginha: August 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $143 in Varginha and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 139% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Varginha vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $344 per month, with Varginha 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

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

Varginha and Mexico City differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($726 vs $1,682 including rent). Varginha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 139% 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: $143 in Varginha versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Varginha runs roughly 80% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $212 in Varginha versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $726 in Varginha versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha 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.

Expats usually find Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.