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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,257 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,893 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,529 in Salto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 17% more expensive than Salto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Salto is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$20.09 UYU 809

-34.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$39.02 UYU 1,571

38.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.44 UYU 380

-0.21%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.08 UYU 124

15.26%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.20 UYU 88.8

-26.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.56 UYU 62.9

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$4.33 UYU 174

-27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.26 UYU 131

42.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.95 UYU 38.16

78.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.24 UYU 50.0

119.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.49 UYU 60.0

28.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$3.33 UYU 134

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$19.70 UYU 793

-49.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.30 UYU 294

10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$9.61 UYU 387

20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.93 UYU 37.60

116.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.45 UYU 58.2

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.52 UYU 21.04

169.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.19 UYU 47.90

-5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.88 UYU 196

-12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.33 UYU 295

112.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.86 UYU 75.0

-5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.23 UYU 89.9

61.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.20 UYU 48.27

-68.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$44.19 UYU 1,779

-56.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.51 UYU 60.9

-8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.50 UYU 60.3

-81.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$10.80 UYU 435

-49.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.83 UYU 73.9

-28.96%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$39.6K UYU 1.6M

-52.79%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$39.2K UYU 1.6M

-40.98%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$181 UYU 7,308

-77.48%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$20.48 UYU 825

30.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$34.77 UYU 1,400

-13.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$31.41 UYU 1,265

65.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.06 UYU 405

-37.38%

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

$436 MX$7,558

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$68.1 UYU 2,742

-16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$60.5 UYU 2,437

-26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$109 UYU 4,406

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$68.0 UYU 2,740

55.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$433 UYU 17.4K

136.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$277 UYU 11.2K

127.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$759 UYU 30.6K

181.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$474 UYU 19.1K

162.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$615 UYU 24.8K

81.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Salto: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $433 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 81% 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 $39.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $221 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,257 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 81% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $433 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Salto – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Salto runs roughly 130% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,257 in Salto versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Salto 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 Salto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.