Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $955 in El Calafate versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,592 in El Calafate versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in El Calafate versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Calafate is 28% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

$13.07 MX$229

-20.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

$53.8 MX$943

-38.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ARS 13.6K

$9.68 MX$170

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ARS 4,085

$3.74 MX$65.6

-26.20%

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

$1.72 ARS 2,547

$1.62 MX$28.34

6.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,296

$1.16 MX$20.37

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ARS 3,173

$3.23 MX$56.6

-33.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ARS 4,454

$4.74 MX$83.1

-36.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,874

$1.65 MX$28.89

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,319

$2.75 MX$48.30

-42.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 2,980

$1.87 MX$32.87

8.02%

Eggs

$2.19 ARS 3,235

$2.50 MX$43.86

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ARS 15.1K

$10.20 MX$179

-0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ARS 9,148

$8.25 MX$145

-24.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ARS 13.8K

$11.82 MX$207

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 2,957

$3.01 MX$52.8

-33.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ARS 3,193

$1.81 MX$31.77

19.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,929

$2.00 MX$35.07

-34.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 ARS 3,753

$2.00 MX$35.00

27.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,697

$2.08 MX$36.56

-44.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,753

$2.27 MX$39.85

-47.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ARS 1,958

$1.46 MX$25.55

-9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ARS 2,203

$1.08 MX$18.88

37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ARS 4,662

$4.35 MX$76.3

-27.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ARS 7,549

$16.99 MX$298

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 2,924

$1.73 MX$30.40

14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,466

$3.58 MX$62.7

-15.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ARS 1,129

$0.39 MX$6.79

94.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ARS 2,170

$1.33 MX$23.25

10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,281

$0.28 MX$4.91

210.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 ARS 8,894

$5.25 MX$92.1

14.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ARS 1,566

$1.34 MX$23.44

-20.90%

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

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

$19.4K MX$340.5K

43.59%

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

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

$23.8K MX$418.0K

28.12%

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

$66.0 ARS 97.5K

$40.69 MX$714

62.10%

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

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

$26.87 MX$471

-34.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.11 ARS 32.7K

$30.51 MX$535

-27.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.57 ARS 39.3K

$52.8 MX$926

-49.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.87 ARS 20.5K

$26.65 MX$467

-47.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ARS 9,195

$6.51 MX$114

-4.45%

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

$216 ARS 319.0K

$428 MX$7,508

-49.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,690 ARS 4.0M

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-74.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 ARS 108.6K

$57.3 MX$1,004

28.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ARS 102.6K

$45.50 MX$798

52.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 167.9K

$104 MX$1,825

9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ARS 163.0K

$108 MX$1,891

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ARS 502.4K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-66.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 ARS 348.8K

$623 MX$10.9K

-62.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ARS 1.0M

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-67.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ARS 787.1K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-56.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,872 ARS 2.8M

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-51.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-21.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

11.34

415.87%

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

Last update for El Calafate: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in El Calafate and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in El Calafate vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $292 per month, with El Calafate 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

El Calafate vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Calafate and Mexico City differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($955 vs $1,456 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,433 in El Calafate and $2,185 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $340 in El Calafate versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $216 in El Calafate versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in El Calafate versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.