Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santa Fe Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santa Fe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $792 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,230 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,668 in Santa Fe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than Santa Fe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Santa Fe is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$7.10 ARS 10.1K

82.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$16.29 ARS 23.3K

222.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.70 ARS 11.0K

22.47%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.65 ARS 2,355

116.36%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.34 ARS 1,910

20.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.13 ARS 1,619

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.20 ARS 1,721

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.48 ARS 3,541

95.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.02 ARS 1,461

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.99 ARS 1,407

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.85 ARS 2,644

2.70%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.51 ARS 2,164

68.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.03 ARS 12.9K

11.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.02 ARS 8,594

37.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.16 ARS 11.7K

41.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.90 ARS 2,713

59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.19 ARS 3,133

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$0.91 ARS 1,305

125.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.72 ARS 3,891

-24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.52 ARS 743

296.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.45 ARS 2,066

49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.93 ARS 1,329

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.79 ARS 2,551

-37.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.46 ARS 4,945

23.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.61 ARS 6,588

234.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.31 ARS 1,865

27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.16 ARS 4,517

16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.97 ARS 1,389

-60.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.02 ARS 1,459

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.91 ARS 1,299

-69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$5.89 ARS 8,416

-7.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.07 ARS 1,525

19.63%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$29.9K ARS 42.7M

-36.44%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$29.0K ARS 41.4M

-19.11%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$54.8 ARS 78.3K

-25.16%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$7.82 ARS 11.2K

244.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$14.89 ARS 21.3K

99.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$39.37 ARS 56.2K

32.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$13.69 ARS 19.6K

91.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.85 ARS 6,931

27.42%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$224 ARS 319.4K

91.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$1,076 ARS 1.5M

893.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$60.7 ARS 86.8K

-6.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$61.0 ARS 87.1K

-26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$108 ARS 153.6K

-2.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$94.5 ARS 134.9K

12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$309 ARS 441.6K

221.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$201 ARS 287.3K

208.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$600 ARS 856.6K

254.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$322 ARS 460.2K

289.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,263 ARS 1.8M

208.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,021 ARS 1.5M

105.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$827 ARS 1.2M

33.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

100

-88.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $309 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Santa Fe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $207 per month, with Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santa Fe differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $792 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 34% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $309 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $224 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 $16.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Santa Fe versus $1,447 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 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.