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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,341 in Salto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,953 in Salto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,565 in Salto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 23% more expensive than in Salto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Salto is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$16.23 UYU 653

-25.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$37.48 UYU 1,508

39.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$11.86 UYU 477

-8.09%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.40 UYU 137

19.12%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$2.13 UYU 85.7

-19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.57 UYU 63.0

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$4.51 UYU 181

-23.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.19 UYU 128

82.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.38 UYU 55.5

34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.10 UYU 84.4

53.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.53 UYU 61.4

36.60%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$5.24 UYU 211

-44.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$15.16 UYU 610

-17.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$8.61 UYU 346

17.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.98 UYU 402

59.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.22 UYU 49.25

171.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.17 UYU 87.3

-1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.25 UYU 50.4

75.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.89 UYU 76.2

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$0.85 UYU 34.17

157.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.67 UYU 67.1

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.93 UYU 37.56

74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.47 UYU 59.2

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$5.18 UYU 209

4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$7.61 UYU 306

131.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.87 UYU 75.4

10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.57 UYU 104

84.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.64 UYU 25.73

-46.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$29.90 UYU 1,203

-27.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$3.66 UYU 147

-84.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.80 UYU 72.5

-10.00%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$202 UYU 8,120

-67.67%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$21.33 UYU 858

40.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$30.32 UYU 1,220

20.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$35.89 UYU 1,444

69.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$12.48 UYU 502

113.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$10.06 UYU 405

-31.91%

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

$453 MX$7,664

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$4,543 UYU 182.8K

194.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$86.2 UYU 3,469

-13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$56.3 UYU 2,264

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$115 UYU 4,644

-1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$66.1 UYU 2,660

85.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$455 UYU 18.3K

149.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$301 UYU 12.1K

136.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$730 UYU 29.4K

252.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$428 UYU 17.2K

206.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$631 UYU 25.4K

65.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Salto: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $455 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 66% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $37.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $271 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,341 including rent). Salto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $455 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 $37.00 versus $52.0 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,341 in Salto versus $1,646 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 23% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.