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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $969 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,588 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,207 in El Calafate.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 70% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, El Calafate is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$10.49 ARS 15.8K

15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$33.47 ARS 50.5K

56.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.23 ARS 13.9K

18.09%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.78 ARS 4,186

45.68%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.64 ARS 2,472

4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.56 ARS 2,360

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.07 ARS 3,127

67.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$2.93 ARS 4,415

98.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.30 ARS 1,957

42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.57 ARS 2,361

105.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.02 ARS 3,045

3.47%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.27 ARS 3,421

28.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$9.96 ARS 15.0K

25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.38 ARS 9,627

58.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.11 ARS 13.7K

74.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.95 ARS 2,948

69.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.05 ARS 3,087

3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.26 ARS 1,894

73.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$2.57 ARS 3,876

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.19 ARS 1,798

84.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.20 ARS 1,816

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.32 ARS 1,995

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.44 ARS 2,167

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.10 ARS 4,671

75.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.01 ARS 7,564

251.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.01 ARS 3,028

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$3.06 ARS 4,611

55.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.78 ARS 1,176

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.47 ARS 2,223

38.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.92 ARS 1,390

-36.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$5.90 ARS 8,904

1.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.07 ARS 1,609

51.40%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$27.3K ARS 41.2M

-16.54%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$30.3K ARS 45.7M

-12.07%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$65.8 ARS 99.2K

-0.84%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$17.07 ARS 25.7K

74.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$22.38 ARS 33.8K

63.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$26.00 ARS 39.2K

134.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$13.99 ARS 21.1K

90.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.21 ARS 9,373

10.31%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$216 ARS 325.3K

110.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,691 ARS 4.1M

396.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$73.0 ARS 110.1K

2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$69.3 ARS 104.5K

-20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$113 ARS 171.1K

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$112 ARS 169.6K

9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$331 ARS 499.4K

242.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$233 ARS 351.0K

206.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$672 ARS 1.0M

282.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$540 ARS 814.1K

142.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,870 ARS 2.8M

113.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,596 ARS 2.4M

31.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

58.5

-80.68%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $331 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $230 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

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

Mexico City and El Calafate differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $969 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,453 in El Calafate 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $331 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $216 in El Calafate. 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in El Calafate versus $1,646 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 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.