Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santa Fe

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,071 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Santa Fe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Santa Fe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Santa Fe.

Mexico City $1,567
Santa Fe $1,071

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,655 in Santa Fe.

Mexico City $2,450
Santa Fe $1,655

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $2,239 in Santa Fe.

Mexico City $3,333
Santa Fe $2,239

Living in Mexico City is roughly 46% more expensive than in Santa Fe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Santa Fe is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$197

$9.93 ARS 15.1K

8.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$919

$37.60 ARS 57.0K

33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$203

$12.68 ARS 19.2K

-12.46%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$67.4

$1.69 ARS 2,556

117.75%

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

$1.65 MX$30.11

$1.55 ARS 2,348

6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$23.83

$1.33 ARS 2,020

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$60.7

$3.43 ARS 5,208

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$101

$4.99 ARS 7,572

11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.35

$1.01 ARS 1,526

75.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$55.8

$1.64 ARS 2,481

85.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.82

$1.04 ARS 1,572

93.27%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$50.6

$1.54 ARS 2,341

79.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$218

$8.60 ARS 13.0K

38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$171

$6.07 ARS 9,200

53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$275

$10.68 ARS 16.2K

40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.3

$1.99 ARS 3,016

54.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.61

$1.52 ARS 2,298

28.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.16

$0.87 ARS 1,316

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.50

$2.38 ARS 3,602

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.03

$0.57 ARS 867

254.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.32

$0.63 ARS 955

188.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.79

$1.02 ARS 1,553

49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.42

$1.02 ARS 1,546

25.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$96.4

$3.11 ARS 4,715

69.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$295

$4.87 ARS 7,389

231.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$35.68

$1.23 ARS 1,861

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$77.8

$2.05 ARS 3,109

107.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.76

$1.04 ARS 1,570

-70.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.56

$1.01 ARS 1,538

98.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.76

$0.98 ARS 1,479

-45.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.79

$1.14 ARS 1,736

33.33%

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

$21.0K MX$384.7K

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

5.31%

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

$25.2K MX$460.6K

$29.8K ARS 45.2M

-15.55%

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

$62.5 MX$1,143

$60.1 ARS 91.2K

3.96%

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

$28.77 MX$526

$19.86 ARS 30.1K

44.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$630

$20.95 ARS 31.8K

64.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,045

$33.96 ARS 51.5K

68.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$122

$4.83 ARS 7,327

38.10%

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

$431 MX$7,883

$238 ARS 361.5K

80.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$214.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,295

$88.2 ARS 133.7K

-19.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$948

$60.4 ARS 91.6K

-14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,991

$115 ARS 173.7K

-4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,055

$140 ARS 212.8K

-19.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.2K

$513 ARS 777.2K

105.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.2K

$360 ARS 545.9K

84.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$42.9K

$931 ARS 1.4M

152.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.4K

$609 ARS 923.1K

101.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$17.8K

$847 ARS 1.3M

15.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

100

-88.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Santa Fe

$360 33.6% 45.9% $305

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Santa Fe

$199 18.5% 38.5% $124

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Santa Fe

$176 16.5% 13.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Santa Fe

$182 17% 17.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Santa Fe

$101 9.4% 19.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Santa Fe

$44 4.1% 38.1% $27

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9% 61.1% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $513 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 15% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $199 per month, with Santa Fe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

391,164

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.47 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.29 MXN (100 MXN = 5.47 USD). 1 EUR = 20.42 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Santa Fe 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Santa Fe

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Santa Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santa Fe differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $1,071 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $513 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $238 in Santa Fe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,071 in Santa Fe versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.