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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $780 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,254 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,729 in Salto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 90% more expensive than Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Salto is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.42 R$32.04

102.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$25.20 R$126

110.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.37 R$31.79

52.59%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.74 R$8.67

115.52%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.97 R$4.84

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.74 R$3.68

52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.79 R$8.93

77.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.72 R$13.56

71.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.91 R$4.55

78.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.54 R$7.67

75.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.09 R$5.44

72.48%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.27 R$11.33

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.37 R$41.75

20.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.42 R$17.06

142.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.85 R$44.14

34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.27 R$11.35

25.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.81 R$9.04

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.47 R$7.33

41.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.59 R$7.95

23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.24 R$6.20

74.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.10 R$5.47

98.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.80 R$4.01

73.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.44 R$2.18

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.31 R$11.53

81.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$9.56 R$47.72

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.33 R$6.65

32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.38 R$16.86

8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.88 R$4.39

-55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$39.14 R$195

-52.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.94 R$4.69

47.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.07 R$5.33

-71.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.83 R$44.05

-38.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.02 R$5.08

32.35%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.0K R$110.0K

-14.36%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$29.3K R$146.3K

-21.03%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$35.77 R$178

14.12%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$9.21 R$45.96

198.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$17.94 R$89.5

69.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$22.27 R$111

139.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$21.69 R$108

21.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$2.64 R$13.20

137.50%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$237 R$1,183

83.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,892 R$34.4K

51.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$57.4 R$286

-1.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$50.5 R$252

-11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$84.5 R$422

21.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$73.4 R$366

46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$314 R$1,566

218.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$220 R$1,098

182.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$577 R$2,877

270.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$429 R$2,142

187.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,799 R$8,975

114.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,169 R$5,834

99.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.92

3.85%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Salto: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $314 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $190 per month, with Salto 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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Salto differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $780 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,169 in Salto 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $314 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Salto runs roughly 110% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $237 in Salto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $780 in Salto versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Salto 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.

Expats usually find Salto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.