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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $785 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,258 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,730 in Salto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than in Salto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Salto is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.43 R$32.62

104.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$24.87 R$126

115.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.12 R$31.07

52.45%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.73 R$8.77

113.87%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.01 R$5.13

58.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.71 R$3.60

57.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.84 R$9.34

70.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.71 R$13.77

78.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.93 R$4.73

77.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.48 R$7.51

83.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.12 R$5.70

70.54%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.31 R$11.71

12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.35 R$42.39

17.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.35 R$16.98

151.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$8.63 R$43.79

38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.19 R$11.09

34.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.82 R$9.22

-4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.41 R$7.14

44.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.60 R$8.12

28.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.30 R$6.60

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.09 R$5.51

107.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.76 R$3.85

82.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.43 R$2.18

160.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.41 R$12.22

75.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.54 R$43.31

105.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.37 R$6.95

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.39 R$17.21

7.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.88 R$4.47

-60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$39.09 R$198

-50.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.88 R$4.46

56.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.06 R$5.39

-73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.64 R$43.82

-38.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.02 R$5.17

33.33%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$22.3K R$113.1K

-14.28%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$29.2K R$148.2K

-19.15%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$36.23 R$184

11.87%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$9.24 R$46.88

196.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$17.66 R$89.6

72.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$22.43 R$114

132.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$21.89 R$111

20.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.62 R$13.31

136.26%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$235 R$1,191

81.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,969 R$35.4K

54.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$57.6 R$292

1.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$51.3 R$260

-13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$85.8 R$435

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$70.9 R$360

53.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$318 R$1,615

218.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$217 R$1,101

186.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$588 R$2,983

260.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$422 R$2,140

190.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Salto: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $318 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $186 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 ($1,472 vs $785 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,178 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $318 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 102% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $235 in Salto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $785 in Salto versus $1,472 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.