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: $953 in El Calafate versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in El Calafate versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in El Calafate versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Calafate is 29% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.44 ARS 15.0K

$13.18 MX$228

-20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.71 ARS 48.5K

$53.9 MX$934

-37.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

$9.42 MX$163

-3.29%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ARS 3,948

$3.55 MX$61.5

-22.82%

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

$1.71 ARS 2,462

$1.62 MX$28.03

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,210

$1.11 MX$19.31

38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ARS 3,096

$3.12 MX$54.1

-31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ARS 4,238

$4.63 MX$80.2

-36.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,798

$1.70 MX$29.48

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ARS 2,341

$2.72 MX$47.10

-40.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 2,946

$1.91 MX$33.13

7.33%

Eggs

$2.27 ARS 3,264

$2.54 MX$43.94

-10.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ARS 14.7K

$10.03 MX$174

1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ARS 8,764

$8.09 MX$140

-24.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 ARS 13.5K

$11.62 MX$201

-19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ARS 2,829

$2.97 MX$51.4

-33.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,000

$1.81 MX$31.30

15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,883

$2.01 MX$34.88

-34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 ARS 3,762

$2.03 MX$35.26

29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ARS 1,695

$2.12 MX$36.82

-44.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,789

$2.27 MX$39.32

-45.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ARS 1,890

$1.40 MX$24.26

-6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,080

$1.13 MX$19.59

28.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ARS 4,430

$4.27 MX$74.0

-27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 ARS 7,397

$15.56 MX$270

-66.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ARS 2,982

$1.76 MX$30.44

17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ARS 4,565

$3.60 MX$62.3

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 ARS 1,123

$0.38 MX$6.64

105.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ARS 2,217

$1.38 MX$23.84

11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 ARS 1,261

$0.28 MX$4.79

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 ARS 8,855

$5.45 MX$94.4

13.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,568

$1.30 MX$22.60

-16.15%

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

$27.6K ARS 39.7M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

47.55%

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

$30.9K ARS 44.4M

$23.1K MX$400.8K

33.41%

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

$67.7 ARS 97.3K

$40.86 MX$708

65.61%

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

$17.29 ARS 24.9K

$26.81 MX$465

-35.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.23 ARS 32.0K

$29.96 MX$519

-25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.54 ARS 38.2K

$52.0 MX$901

-48.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 ARS 19.7K

$26.84 MX$465

-48.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ARS 8,745

$6.30 MX$109

-3.49%

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

$217 ARS 312.5K

$436 MX$7,558

-50.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,719 ARS 3.9M

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-73.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ARS 108.1K

$56.7 MX$982

32.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 ARS 101.6K

$44.38 MX$769

59.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ARS 163.0K

$103 MX$1,784

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ARS 160.2K

$106 MX$1,829

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ARS 482.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-67.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ARS 342.1K

$631 MX$10.9K

-62.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 ARS 987.5K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-67.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 ARS 774.3K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-56.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ARS 2.7M

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-52.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,588 ARS 2.3M

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-23.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in El Calafate and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in El Calafate vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $288 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 54% in total monthly costs ($953 vs $1,467 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,429 in El Calafate and $2,201 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: $336 in El Calafate versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in El Calafate versus $436 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 $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in El Calafate versus $1,467 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.