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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $999 in Sal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,515 in Sal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,031 in Sal.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than Sal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Sal is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$5.61 CVE 528

131.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$46.48 CVE 4,378

14.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$7.21 CVE 679

34.81%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.28 CVE 215

64.47%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$2.53 CVE 239

-37.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$1.13 CVE 107

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$3.88 CVE 366

-18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$3.16 CVE 298

47.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.49 CVE 140

8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$2.13 CVE 201

27.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.51 CVE 142

24.50%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$2.74 CVE 258

-8.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$11.05 CVE 1,041

-8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$8.58 CVE 808

-3.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$16.60 CVE 1,564

-28.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$2.87 CVE 271

-0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$2.55 CVE 240

-31.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$2.88 CVE 271

-27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$4.03 CVE 380

-51.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$1.57 CVE 148

37.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$1.96 CVE 185

11.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.86 CVE 175

-25.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$1.10 CVE 103

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$4.84 CVE 456

-13.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$6.78 CVE 638

110.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$3.10 CVE 292

-43.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$1.93 CVE 182

90.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$1.02 CVE 96.4

-61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$2.12 CVE 200

-34.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$2.83 CVE 267

-89.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$13.11 CVE 1,234

-58.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.43 CVE 135

-5.59%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

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

$40.82 MX$710

$89.2 CVE 8,404

-54.25%

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

$27.50 MX$479

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$55.7 CVE 5,249

-45.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$34.75 CVE 3,272

53.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

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

$436 MX$7,588

$146 CVE 13.7K

198.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$2,483 CVE 233.8K

321.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$31.58 CVE 2,974

79.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$148 CVE 13.9K

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$330 CVE 31.1K

203.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$291 CVE 27.4K

113.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$449 CVE 42.3K

375.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$386 CVE 36.4K

219.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$683 CVE 64.3K

466.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$356 CVE 33.6K

554.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$262 CVE 24.7K

307.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.17

83.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sal: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $330 in Sal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 308% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Sal. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $302, with Mexico City 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 Sal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sal differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $999 including rent). Sal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 308% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $330 in Sal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $146 in Sal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sal – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $999 in Sal versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sal but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sal 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 Sal 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 Sal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.