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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $634 in Salatiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $971 in Salatiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,309 in Salatiga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 162% more expensive than in Salatiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Salatiga is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$0.89 Rp 15.8K

1239.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$9.31 Rp 164.8K

454.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$2.88 Rp 51.0K

296.18%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.41 Rp 24.9K

182.98%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.35 Rp 6,112

374.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.21 Rp 3,707

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.02 Rp 35.8K

71.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.27 Rp 75.7K

38.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.28 Rp 22.7K

46.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.34 Rp 23.8K

142.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.85 Rp 15.1K

154.12%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.25 Rp 22.2K

132.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$7.82 Rp 138.4K

64.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.12 Rp 55.2K

222.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.70 Rp 136.3K

105.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.12 Rp 37.5K

55.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.28 Rp 22.7K

57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.87 Rp 33.0K

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

48.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.33 Rp 23.6K

54.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.94 Rp 34.4K

-2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.33 Rp 5,800

387.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.39 Rp 6,874

258.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

173.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$25.15 Rp 445.4K

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.72 Rp 30.4K

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.94 Rp 52.1K

59.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.26 Rp 4,664

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.43 Rp 7,619

388.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.46 Rp 8,181

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$2.77 Rp 49.0K

109.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.68 Rp 12.1K

136.76%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$25.5K Rp 451.9M

-10.50%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$32.4K Rp 573.5M

-17.41%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$88.3 Rp 1.6M

-26.22%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$4.62 Rp 81.8K

551.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$19.47 Rp 344.8K

90.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$20.47 Rp 362.4K

191.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$9.11 Rp 161.3K

191.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$1.94 Rp 34.3K

262.89%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$96.4 Rp 1.7M

382.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$9,794 Rp 173.4M

35.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$22.29 Rp 394.6K

240.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$11.15 Rp 197.5K

401.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$46.05 Rp 815.4K

142.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$75.8 Rp 1.3M

59.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$231 Rp 4.1M

378.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$152 Rp 2.7M

373.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$610 Rp 10.8M

314.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$327 Rp 5.8M

295.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,303 Rp 23.1M

206.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$615 Rp 10.9M

239.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.5

50.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $231 in Salatiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $9.00 in Salatiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $209 per month, with Salatiga 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 Salatiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Salatiga differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $634 including rent). Salatiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $950 in Salatiga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $231 in Salatiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $96.4 in Salatiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Salatiga – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $634 in Salatiga versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salatiga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Salatiga 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 Salatiga 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 Salatiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.