Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Rita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,784 in Santa Rita.

Mexico City $1,548
Santa Rita $1,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,706 in Santa Rita.

Mexico City $2,436
Santa Rita $2,706

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,628 in Santa Rita.

Mexico City $3,323
Santa Rita $3,628

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 13% less than in Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Santa Rita 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$20.09 $20.09

-45.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$75.3 $75.3

-35.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.16 $6.16

76.95%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.04 $5.04

-26.98%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.48 $2.48

-34.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.43 $2.43

-48.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$7.90 $7.90

-58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$9.88 $9.88

-44.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$3.85 $3.85

-55.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.24 $4.24

-28.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.63 $2.63

-27.00%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.84 $3.84

-28.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$19.70 $19.70

-40.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$6.46 $6.46

47.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$9.92 $9.92

45.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.76 $4.76

-36.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.69 $2.69

-29.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.50 $4.50

-51.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$4.08 $4.08

-52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.77 $2.77

-32.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.00 $2.00

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.77 $2.77

-31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.73 $1.73

143.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$32.63 $32.63

-83.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.39 $1.39

9.35%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$251 $251

-75.66%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$89.9 $89.9

-68.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$78.4 $78.4

-56.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$101 $101

-44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$900 $900

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$612 $612

6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,982 $1,982

16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,102 $1,102

12.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$303 $303

539.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$5,588 $5,588

-82.75%

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $900 in Santa Rita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rita pays 480% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $75.0 in Santa Rita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $333 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

16 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

7,500

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Santa Rita 12,140 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Santa Rita

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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santa Rita differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $1,784 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 480% lower in Santa Rita. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $900 in Santa Rita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $75.0 in Santa Rita. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $1,784 in Santa Rita – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,784 in Santa Rita, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Santa Rita. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Santa Rita 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Santa Rita. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.