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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than El Calafate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.44 ARS 15.0K

26.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$33.71 ARS 48.5K

59.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

3.40%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.74 ARS 3,948

29.56%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.71 ARS 2,462

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.54 ARS 2,210

-27.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.15 ARS 3,096

45.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.95 ARS 4,238

56.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.25 ARS 1,798

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.63 ARS 2,341

66.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.05 ARS 2,946

-6.83%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.27 ARS 3,264

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.21 ARS 14.7K

-1.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.09 ARS 8,764

32.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.39 ARS 13.5K

23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.97 ARS 2,829

50.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.09 ARS 3,000

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.31 ARS 1,883

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.62 ARS 3,762

-22.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.18 ARS 1,695

79.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.24 ARS 1,789

83.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.31 ARS 1,890

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.45 ARS 2,080

-22.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.08 ARS 4,430

38.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.14 ARS 7,397

202.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.07 ARS 2,982

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.17 ARS 4,565

13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.78 ARS 1,123

-51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.54 ARS 2,217

-10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.88 ARS 1,261

-68.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$6.16 ARS 8,855

-11.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.09 ARS 1,568

19.27%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$27.6K ARS 39.7M

-32.23%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$30.9K ARS 44.4M

-25.04%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$67.7 ARS 97.3K

-39.62%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$17.29 ARS 24.9K

55.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$22.23 ARS 32.0K

34.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$26.54 ARS 38.2K

96.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$13.72 ARS 19.7K

95.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.08 ARS 8,745

3.62%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$217 ARS 312.5K

100.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$2,719 ARS 3.9M

283.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$75.1 ARS 108.1K

-24.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$70.6 ARS 101.6K

-37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$113 ARS 163.0K

-9.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$111 ARS 160.2K

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$336 ARS 482.7K

204.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$238 ARS 342.1K

165.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$686 ARS 987.5K

211.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$538 ARS 774.3K

130.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$1,864 ARS 2.7M

109.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,588 ARS 2.3M

30.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

58.5

-80.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

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

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

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $217 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 $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.