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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $665 in Salatiga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $998 in Salatiga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,330 in Salatiga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 119% more expensive than in Salatiga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Salatiga is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$0.97 Rp 17.4K

1247.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$10.09 Rp 181.3K

432.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.09 Rp 55.5K

213.27%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

139.74%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.34 Rp 6,146

376.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.21 Rp 3,771

452.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.93 Rp 70.7K

20.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

96.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

89.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.94 Rp 160.7K

14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$2.80 Rp 50.4K

194.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.45 Rp 151.9K

39.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

26.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.13 Rp 38.4K

-6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.33 Rp 24.0K

56.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

31.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.38 Rp 6,903

284.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.43 Rp 7,717

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

88.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$24.53 Rp 440.9K

-30.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.29 Rp 59.1K

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.32 Rp 5,793

21.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$9.54 Rp 171.5K

95.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.44 Rp 7,955

202.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.29 Rp 5,188

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

89.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

100.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$20.7K Rp 372.8M

-6.43%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$35.4K Rp 636.2M

-32.69%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$82.4 Rp 1.5M

-50.59%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$4.30 Rp 77.3K

524.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$19.43 Rp 349.1K

57.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$22.73 Rp 408.5K

132.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$6.28 Rp 112.9K

324.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$2.18 Rp 39.1K

198.62%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$188 Rp 3.4M

128.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$9,540 Rp 171.4M

10.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$43.45 Rp 780.8K

31.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$12.41 Rp 223.1K

266.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$49.79 Rp 894.8K

108.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$262 Rp 4.7M

283.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$160 Rp 2.9M

288.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$586 Rp 10.5M

259.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$340 Rp 6.1M

257.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,201 Rp 21.6M

223.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$609 Rp 10.9M

233.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.33

36.13%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $262 in Salatiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $10.00 in Salatiga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $219 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 119% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $665 including rent). Salatiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $998 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $262 in Salatiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Salatiga runs roughly 96% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $188 in Salatiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $665 in Salatiga versus $1,456 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 119% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.