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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,500 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $2,227 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,954 in Sala.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 3% less than in Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Sala 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$12.56 SEK 118

3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$64.2 SEK 600

-18.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$10.43 SEK 97.6

-7.09%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$3.25 SEK 30.42

15.38%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$1.82 SEK 17.03

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$2.52 SEK 23.55

-53.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$7.47 SEK 69.9

-56.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$7.58 SEK 70.9

-35.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.77 SEK 16.58

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$2.67 SEK 25.01

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$3.73 SEK 34.93

-49.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$4.03 SEK 37.70

-37.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$11.89 SEK 111

-15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$11.89 SEK 111

-28.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$15.96 SEK 149

-25.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$3.06 SEK 28.64

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$2.58 SEK 24.11

-30.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.72 SEK 25.46

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$5.30 SEK 49.56

-63.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.50 SEK 14.06

44.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.18 SEK 11.07

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$2.75 SEK 25.74

-49.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$1.02 SEK 9.53

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$7.57 SEK 70.9

-44.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$6.31 SEK 59.1

162.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$2.58 SEK 24.17

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.91 SEK 17.88

87.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$3.13 SEK 29.23

-87.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$21.99 SEK 206

-12.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$6.22 SEK 58.1

-77.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$1.64 SEK 15.35

-81.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$21.15 SEK 198

-74.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.92 SEK 17.96

-32.81%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$42.2K SEK 394.8K

-55.23%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$34.5K SEK 322.3K

-30.92%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$90.6 SEK 848

-56.02%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$20.68 SEK 193

34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$36.22 SEK 339

-17.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$48.47 SEK 453

7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$21.08 SEK 197

24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$18.63 SEK 174

-66.34%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$149 SEK 1,397

189.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$1,259 SEK 11.8K

736.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$46.04 SEK 431

23.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$36.25 SEK 339

25.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$54.8 SEK 513

85.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$58.1 SEK 543

86.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$756 SEK 7,068

31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$530 SEK 4,954

16.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$963 SEK 9,010

116.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$720 SEK 6,740

74.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$3,957 SEK 37.0K

-0.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$2,730 SEK 25.5K

-23.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$2,533 SEK 23.7K

-55.34%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Sala: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $756 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 124% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $64.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,500 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sala earns 124% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $756 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 15% less than in Sala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $149 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,500 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 4% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.