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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,055 in Saku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,659 in Saku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,263 in Saku.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than Saku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Saku is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$15.95 €13.65

-18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$69.2 €59.2

-23.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.93 €8.50

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.61 €3.09

3.88%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$2.55 €2.19

-38.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$2.45 €2.10

-53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$5.06 €4.33

-37.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$5.95 €5.09

-21.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.24 €1.06

30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.43 €1.23

89.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.39 €2.05

-21.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.97 €2.54

-15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$12.57 €10.76

-19.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.94 €7.65

-7.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$11.18 €9.57

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.97 €1.69

45.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.57 €1.35

11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.47 €2.11

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.39 €2.04

-17.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.00 €0.85

116.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.93 €0.80

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.97 €1.69

-29.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.06 €0.91

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.30 €5.39

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$10.73 €9.18

32.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.90 €1.63

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.17 €1.86

69.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.41 €2.92

-59.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.69 €0.59

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$17.54 €15.02

-69.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.95 €1.67

-30.77%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$28.9K €24.8K

-34.71%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$31.2K €26.7K

-25.87%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$274 €235

-85.13%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$20.28 €17.36

35.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$36.06 €30.87

-15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$11.67 €9.99

-46.27%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$118 €101

270.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,848 €6,718

33.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$114 €97.2

-50.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$40.16 €34.38

11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$97.3 €83.3

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$109 €93.5

-1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$4,206 €3,601

-8.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,838 €2,430

-17.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,881 €1,610

-43.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.3

163.72%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Saku: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Saku pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $69.0 in Saku. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $266, with Saku cheaper for home cooking.

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 Saku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Saku differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,055 including rent). Saku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Saku earns 76% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $118 in Saku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saku – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,055 in Saku versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saku but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Saku 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 Saku 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 Saku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.