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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $773 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,239 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,705 in Salto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than Salto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Salto is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.17 R$31.21

110.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$25.42 R$129

106.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.39 R$32.36

47.57%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.66 R$8.40

115.06%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.95 R$4.79

69.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.70 R$3.55

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.77 R$8.96

77.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.63 R$13.32

84.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.88 R$4.44

93.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.50 R$7.60

76.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.12 R$5.69

69.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.39 R$12.09

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.18 R$41.43

23.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.33 R$16.88

148.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.86 R$44.86

30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.27 R$11.51

33.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.74 R$8.79

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.47 R$7.42

39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.59 R$8.07

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.32 R$6.66

56.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.14 R$5.78

90.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.79 R$4.01

77.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.47 R$2.36

138.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.41 R$12.20

78.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.59 R$43.46

79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.33 R$6.72

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.52 R$17.81

4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.94 R$4.76

-59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$37.94 R$192

-49.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.89 R$4.50

55.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.06 R$5.37

-73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.57 R$43.37

-36.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.06 R$5.34

20.75%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$22.4K R$113.3K

-15.19%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$29.7K R$150.3K

-20.96%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$35.49 R$180

15.58%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$9.13 R$46.22

194.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$17.50 R$88.6

69.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$22.66 R$115

130.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$21.55 R$109

21.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$2.67 R$13.54

131.46%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$234 R$1,185

82.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$6,906 R$35.0K

54.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$57.3 R$290

-0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$51.7 R$262

-13.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$85.1 R$431

22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$73.3 R$371

44.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$311 R$1,572

220.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$213 R$1,080

191.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$592 R$2,997

259.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$424 R$2,144

195.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,356 R$6,863

187.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,031 R$5,219

103.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Salto: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $311 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 $288 vs $187 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 87% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $773 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,159 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $311 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 99% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $234 in Salto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $773 in Salto versus $1,447 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 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.