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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $959 in Santa Rita.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,421 in Santa Rita.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,883 in Santa Rita.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than in Santa Rita, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Santa Rita is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.33 ₲19.7K

263.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$33.18 ₲196.6K

57.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.29 ₲19.5K

23.10%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.88 ₲5,195

95.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.49 ₲2,928

181.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$1.33 ₲7,902

336.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.08 ₲6,378

71.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.90 ₲11.3K

69.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.21 ₲7,179

72.73%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.66 ₲15.8K

9.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.44 ₲44.1K

67.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.28 ₲25.3K

136.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$11.12 ₲65.9K

42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$5.06 ₲30.0K

-34.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$3.42 ₲20.3K

-35.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$3.05 ₲18.1K

-19.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$3.46 ₲20.5K

-36.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$2.51 ₲14.9K

-24.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.84 ₲4,950

92.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.33 ₲7,863

1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.00 ₲29.6K

251.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.65 ₲15.7K

79.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.34 ₲7,923

-74.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$39.78 ₲235.7K

-45.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$4.18 ₲24.8K

-86.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.69 ₲21.9K

61.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.40 ₲8,310

15.71%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$9,518 ₲56.4M

139.67%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$108 ₲637.3K

-39.36%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$23.27 ₲137.8K

28.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$38.13 ₲225.9K

-4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$43.08 ₲255.2K

41.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$25.42 ₲150.6K

5.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$8.57 ₲50.7K

-20.07%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$75.8 ₲449.3K

497.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$51.3 ₲304.2K

46.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$85.4 ₲505.9K

-35.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$68.6 ₲406.1K

78.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$340 ₲2.0M

233.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$252 ₲1.5M

182.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$414 ₲2.5M

520.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$337 ₲2.0M

289.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$497 ₲2.9M

110.46%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $340 in Santa Rita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 110% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Santa Rita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $227 per month, with Santa Rita 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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santa Rita differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $959 including rent). Santa Rita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $340 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 84% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $75.8 in Santa Rita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $959 in Santa Rita versus $1,646 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.