Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $978 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$978

/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 $978 in Santa Rita.

Mexico City $1,548
Santa Rita $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,468 in Santa Rita.

Mexico City $2,436
Santa Rita $1,468

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,958 in Santa Rita.

Mexico City $3,323
Santa Rita $1,958

Living in Mexico City is roughly 58% more expensive than in Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Santa Rita is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.57 ₲20.3K

208.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$35.71 ₲203.1K

36.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.61 ₲20.5K

1.94%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.86 ₲4,909

89.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.55 ₲3,145

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$1.38 ₲7,872

300.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.13 ₲6,404

50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.91 ₲10.9K

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.25 ₲7,102

53.60%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.91 ₲16.5K

-6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$8.09 ₲46.0K

45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.30 ₲24.4K

121.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$11.56 ₲65.8K

24.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.19 ₲29.5K

-41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$3.58 ₲20.3K

-44.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$3.17 ₲18.0K

-30.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$3.60 ₲20.5K

-46.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.71 ₲15.4K

-31.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.92 ₲5,217

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$1.37 ₲7,786

-7.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.14 ₲29.2K

214.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.87 ₲16.3K

47.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.45 ₲8,241

-76.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$42.91 ₲244.0K

-54.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$4.33 ₲24.6K

-87.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$3.82 ₲21.7K

39.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.43 ₲8,119

6.29%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$9,866 ₲56.1M

123.78%

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

$108 ₲614.4K

-43.48%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$24.98 ₲142.0K

14.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$39.66 ₲225.5K

-13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$43.41 ₲246.8K

29.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$26.74 ₲152.1K

-6.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$8.60 ₲48.9K

-22.56%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$77.6 ₲441.4K

450.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$52.6 ₲299.0K

28.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$88.4 ₲502.4K

-41.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$71.4 ₲405.9K

57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$350 ₲2.0M

192.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$263 ₲1.5M

148.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$445 ₲2.5M

418.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$349 ₲2.0M

255.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$530 ₲3.0M

81.97%

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 $350 in Santa Rita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 82% 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 $36.00 in Santa Rita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $236 per month, with Santa Rita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇾 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

35,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Santa Rita 6,920 km ≈ 9 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $978 including rent). Santa Rita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $350 in Santa Rita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Rita runs roughly 118% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $77.6 in Santa Rita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $978 in Santa Rita versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rita but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rita 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 Santa Rita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.