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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $648 in Sale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Sale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,475 in Sale.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 159% more expensive than in Sale, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Sale is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.75 MAD 35.28

223.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$18.73 MAD 176

187.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.40 MAD 69.6

49.86%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.92 MAD 18.05

113.54%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.63 MAD 5.93

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.34 MAD 3.16

308.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.71 MAD 25.43

22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.29 MAD 30.88

78.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.94 MAD 8.82

96.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.68 MAD 6.37

366.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.99 MAD 18.73

4.02%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.97 MAD 18.48

48.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.70 MAD 110

7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.95 MAD 65.3

45.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$12.67 MAD 119

26.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.39 MAD 13.09

143.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.24 MAD 11.65

67.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$0.88 MAD 8.26

140.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.87 MAD 8.22

177.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.76 MAD 7.10

180.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.77 MAD 7.19

161.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.44 MAD 4.12

252.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.58 MAD 5.45

134.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.91 MAD 36.70

47.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.71 MAD 44.29

276.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.21 MAD 20.81

-6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.21 MAD 20.76

108.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.57 MAD 5.31

-35.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$23.79 MAD 224

-10.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.78 MAD 7.30

162.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.55 MAD 5.21

5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$4.15 MAD 38.98

46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.52 MAD 14.24

1.97%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$35.5K MAD 333.7K

-35.58%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$31.5K MAD 296.0K

-13.54%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$39.46 MAD 371

70.83%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$10.88 MAD 102

181.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$42.24 MAD 397

-11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$16.54 MAD 155

271.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$43.35 MAD 407

-37.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.24 MAD 49.25

35.69%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$105 MAD 986

334.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,048 MAD 56.8K

126.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$33.02 MAD 310

124.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$47.63 MAD 448

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$75.7 MAD 711

52.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$68.4 MAD 643

77.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$216 MAD 2,028

431.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$109 MAD 1,020

553.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$366 MAD 3,442

603.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$269 MAD 2,529

381.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,161 MAD 10.9K

244.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$862 MAD 8,101

147.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$538 MAD 5,058

101.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

126.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sale: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $216 in Sale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 101% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Sale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $200 per month, with Sale 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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sale differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $648 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $216 in Sale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sale runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $105 in Sale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $648 in Sale versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sale 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 Sale 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.