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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $611 in Safi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $958 in Safi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,305 in Safi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 140% more expensive than Safi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Safi is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.76 MAD 34.61

250.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$16.53 MAD 152

226.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.64 MAD 42.72

103.02%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.96 MAD 18.02

81.12%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.61 MAD 5.63

165.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.31 MAD 2.89

258.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.67 MAD 15.38

86.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.62 MAD 14.87

185.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.83 MAD 7.64

104.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.47 MAD 4.30

478.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.49 MAD 13.67

28.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.92 MAD 17.64

32.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.10 MAD 65.3

41.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.91 MAD 63.7

17.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.50 MAD 87.5

22.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.21 MAD 11.15

145.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.24 MAD 11.44

45.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.83 MAD 7.65

142.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.71 MAD 6.53

185.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.64 MAD 5.94

231.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.66 MAD 6.10

243.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.43 MAD 3.94

225.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.60 MAD 5.48

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.09 MAD 37.63

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.98 MAD 73.5

94.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.03 MAD 18.71

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.91 MAD 17.59

88.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.47 MAD 4.33

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$10.79 MAD 99.3

77.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.58 MAD 5.30

137.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.48 MAD 4.43

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$6.39 MAD 58.8

-14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.58 MAD 14.53

-17.72%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$37.9K MAD 348.7K

-50.65%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$29.6K MAD 272.3K

-21.78%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$29.75 MAD 274

37.34%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$10.93 MAD 101

145.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$40.66 MAD 374

-26.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$21.84 MAD 201

138.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$5.39 MAD 49.59

397.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.87 MAD 35.60

62.79%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$160 MAD 1,470

173.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,763 MAD 34.6K

176.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$41.95 MAD 386

35.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$35.23 MAD 324

25.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$97.1 MAD 894

6.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$38.73 MAD 357

172.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$241 MAD 2,218

324.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$138 MAD 1,270

357.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$453 MAD 4,171

371.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$237 MAD 2,180

424.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$946 MAD 8,711

312.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$592 MAD 5,450

248.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$463 MAD 4,259

141.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.81

135.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Safi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $241 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 141% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Safi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $173 per month, with Safi 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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Safi differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $611 including rent). Safi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 141% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $241 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Safi runs roughly 78% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $160 in Safi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $611 in Safi versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Safi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Safi 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Safi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Safi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.