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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $625 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $887 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,148 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 168% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Santa Rosa is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$2.44 ₱152

397.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$16.85 ₱1,051

219.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$2.78 ₱174

298.92%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$1.13 ₱70.6

262.83%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.36 ₱22.74

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.25 ₱15.68

456.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$0.97 ₱60.8

243.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$1.29 ₱80.5

355.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.69 ₱106

9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$1.12 ₱69.6

183.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$1.02 ₱63.5

102.94%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$1.65 ₱103

77.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$5.19 ₱324

142.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.43 ₱214

194.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$8.05 ₱502

99.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$2.23 ₱139

52.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$0.77 ₱47.73

170.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$2.40 ₱149

-11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$1.05 ₱65.2

129.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$1.67 ₱104

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$1.79 ₱111

12.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$0.65 ₱40.82

138.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.53 ₱33.17

156.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$3.05 ₱190

89.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$8.67 ₱541

104.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$0.96 ₱60.0

115.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$2.03 ₱127

127.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$0.27 ₱16.87

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

$11.19 ₱698

89.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.77 ₱48.27

166.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.25 ₱15.67

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.88 ₱117

222.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.04 ₱65.1

49.04%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

5.79%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

40.37%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$63.3 ₱3,945

6.56%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$6.53 ₱407

368.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$23.53 ₱1,467

58.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$32.41 ₱2,021

89.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$4.93 ₱308

450.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$5.11 ₱319

39.14%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$134 ₱8,359

240.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$5,562 ₱346.8K

146.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$28.66 ₱1,787

158.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$19.68 ₱1,227

189.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$73.4 ₱4,579

57.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$55.0 ₱3,431

120.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$264 ₱16.5K

334.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$171 ₱10.7K

315.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$503 ₱31.4K

412.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$179 ₱11.2K

621.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$2,614 ₱163.0K

53.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,046 ₱65.2K

103.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$143 ₱8,933

655.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $264 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 655% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $170 per month, with Santa Rosa 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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santa Rosa differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $625 including rent). Santa Rosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 655% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $264 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Rosa runs roughly 89% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $134 in Santa Rosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $625 in Santa Rosa versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rosa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rosa 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 Rosa 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 Rosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.