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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,619 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,351 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,083 in Sala.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Sala 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$12.46 SEK 123

-4.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$61.7 SEK 608

-16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$10.06 SEK 99.2

13.42%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.30 SEK 32.50

20.91%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.87 SEK 18.44

-11.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$2.33 SEK 23.01

-42.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$7.12 SEK 70.2

-51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$7.32 SEK 72.2

-19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.81 SEK 17.88

3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.62 SEK 25.85

24.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$3.64 SEK 35.85

-40.66%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$5.00 SEK 49.28

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$11.89 SEK 117

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$13.80 SEK 136

-27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$22.79 SEK 225

-30.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$3.08 SEK 30.39

6.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.68 SEK 26.39

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.72 SEK 26.85

-19.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-52.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.54 SEK 15.16

33.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.22 SEK 12.06

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$2.72 SEK 26.82

-40.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.02 SEK 10.05

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$7.33 SEK 72.2

-25.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.30 SEK 62.1

180.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.01 SEK 19.80

2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.93 SEK 19.00

142.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$3.11 SEK 30.65

-89.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$21.82 SEK 215

-4.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$6.03 SEK 59.4

-65.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.84 SEK 18.17

-69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$83.3 SEK 820

-93.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.76 SEK 17.31

-8.52%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-33.75%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

-21.93%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$186 SEK 1,835

-65.00%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$21.01 SEK 207

43.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$39.07 SEK 385

-4.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$47.16 SEK 465

26.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$20.57 SEK 203

29.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$16.44 SEK 162

-57.18%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$164 SEK 1,618

182.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

948.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$45.96 SEK 453

65.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$36.55 SEK 360

53.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$55.3 SEK 544

102.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$57.8 SEK 570

108.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$757 SEK 7,464

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$536 SEK 5,285

34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$967 SEK 9,533

161.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$714 SEK 7,040

81.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

-4.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

-28.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

-58.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.2

253.13%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $757 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $376 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,619 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 140% lower in Sala. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $757 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sala runs roughly 5% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $164 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,619 in Sala versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.