Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Martino in Rio Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Martino in Rio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,733 in San Martino in Rio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,649 in San Martino in Rio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,566 in San Martino in Rio.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 15% less than in San Martino in Rio, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, San Martino in Rio 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$17.47 €15.04

-24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$82.6 €71.1

-34.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$11.78 €10.14

-20.03%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$2.02 €1.74

75.74%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$3.52 €3.03

-53.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$1.43 €1.23

-22.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$5.67 €4.88

-44.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$5.63 €4.85

-17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.52 €1.31

11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$2.09 €1.80

30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.80 €1.55

6.11%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$3.84 €3.30

-33.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$19.34 €16.65

-48.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$10.56 €9.10

-23.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$20.73 €17.85

-43.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.00 €1.72

48.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.98 €1.70

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$2.65 €2.28

-24.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$3.37 €2.90

-39.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$2.32 €2.00

-8.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.63 €1.41

39.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.02 €0.88

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.54 €0.47

109.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$7.13 €6.14

-40.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.03 €6.06

121.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.81 €1.56

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$3.07 €2.65

17.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.78 €1.54

-78.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$42.84 €36.88

-55.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$5.66 €4.87

-75.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.00 €0.86

-72.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$23.03 €19.83

-76.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$2.10 €1.81

-38.10%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$29.2K €25.1K

-35.90%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$39.6K €34.1K

-41.66%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$231 €199

-82.33%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$11.61 €9.99

130.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$27.98 €24.09

7.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$54.1 €46.61

-3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$22.89 €19.71

17.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.63 €9.15

-40.73%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$523 €450

-16.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$8,002 €6,889

30.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$88.2 €75.9

-35.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$38.53 €33.17

15.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$123 €106

-16.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$113 €97.6

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$750 €645

36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$572 €493

10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,213 €1,044

76.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$918 €791

35.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,764 €2,379

41.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,040 €1,756

1.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.17

171.94%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Martino in Rio: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $750 in San Martino in Rio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $83.0 in San Martino in Rio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $331 per month, with Mexico City 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 San Martino in Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Martino in Rio differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,733 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $2,600 in San Martino in Rio 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $750 in San Martino in Rio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 123% less than in San Martino in Rio. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $523 in San Martino in Rio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,733 in San Martino in Rio, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Martino in Rio. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in San Martino in Rio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.