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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,234 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,973 in Sala.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 1% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Sala 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$12.80 SEK 119

1.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$63.5 SEK 591

-16.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$10.15 SEK 94.4

-4.24%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.18 SEK 29.55

17.92%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.83 SEK 17.05

-14.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$2.47 SEK 22.99

-54.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$7.29 SEK 67.8

-56.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$7.56 SEK 70.4

-38.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.83 SEK 17.06

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.65 SEK 24.65

2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$3.68 SEK 34.23

-48.91%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.07 SEK 37.86

-38.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.73 SEK 109

-14.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$11.91 SEK 111

-30.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$15.92 SEK 148

-25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.02 SEK 28.10

-5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.70 SEK 25.11

-35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.72 SEK 25.33

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$5.14 SEK 47.78

-61.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.52 SEK 14.13

42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.20 SEK 11.13

81.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.72 SEK 25.32

-48.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.07 SEK 9.91

4.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$7.55 SEK 70.3

-44.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.47 SEK 60.2

120.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.48 SEK 23.03

-29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.88 SEK 17.52

95.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$3.22 SEK 29.90

-87.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$21.91 SEK 204

-14.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$6.25 SEK 58.2

-77.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.66 SEK 15.44

-81.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$21.07 SEK 196

-74.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.98 SEK 18.40

-31.82%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$42.7K SEK 396.7K

-55.73%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$34.4K SEK 319.7K

-32.64%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$88.1 SEK 819

-53.65%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$21.33 SEK 198

28.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$37.05 SEK 345

-18.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$48.76 SEK 453

9.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.11 SEK 196

24.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$19.10 SEK 178

-67.17%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$147 SEK 1,367

196.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,286 SEK 12.0K

713.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$47.81 SEK 445

18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$36.57 SEK 340

22.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$55.6 SEK 517

84.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$58.8 SEK 547

83.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$755 SEK 7,022

32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$534 SEK 4,965

16.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$984 SEK 9,154

117.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$720 SEK 6,697

71.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$4,275 SEK 39.8K

-9.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$3,074 SEK 28.6K

-24.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,601 SEK 24.2K

-58.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.53

150.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $755 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 144% 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 $63.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $346 per month, with Mexico City 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sala differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,496 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sala earns 144% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $755 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 17% less than in Sala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $147 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in Sala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Sala. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Sala 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.