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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $795 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,240 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,684 in Salto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 109% more expensive than in Salto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Salto is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$6.99 R$35.94

70.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$26.79 R$138

92.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.72 R$34.56

69.79%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.87 R$9.59

113.37%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.10 R$5.66

50.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.77 R$3.95

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.62 R$13.46

32.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.94 R$15.14

100.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.05 R$5.42

79.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.60 R$8.22

103.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.17 R$6.01

84.62%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.65 R$13.62

9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.75 R$44.97

46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.59 R$18.47

179.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.49 R$48.82

67.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.76 R$14.20

19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.77 R$9.11

13.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.82 R$9.34

20.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.82 R$9.36

29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.34 R$6.87

52.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.33 R$6.83

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.93 R$4.77

73.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.46 R$2.35

204.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.48 R$12.74

120.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.92 R$45.86

97.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.61 R$8.28

27.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$4.48 R$23.03

4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.78 R$4.01

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.30 R$6.68

61.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$1.33 R$6.84

-57.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$9.18 R$47.20

-36.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.11 R$5.69

45.05%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$22.9K R$117.8K

-0.27%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$33.6K R$173.0K

-20.47%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$39.09 R$201

66.74%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$9.53 R$48.98

215.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$18.22 R$93.7

104.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$25.65 R$132

132.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$2.84 R$14.63

147.89%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$256 R$1,318

81.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,604 R$39.1K

74.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$53.3 R$274

42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$57.4 R$295

-2.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$92.6 R$476

20.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$83.1 R$427

45.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$236 R$1,211

205.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$584 R$3,004

333.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$395 R$2,030

227.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.12

1.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Salto: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $206 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 109% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $795 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,192 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.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $256 in Salto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Salto – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $795 in Salto versus $1,660 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 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.