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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $749 in Santa Rosa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,146 in Santa Rosa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,543 in Santa Rosa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 96% more expensive than Santa Rosa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Santa Rosa is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.79 ₱172

372.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$20.91 ₱1,289

157.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.07 ₱189

206.84%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.21 ₱74.4

193.39%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.37 ₱23.03

337.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.28 ₱17.30

296.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.22 ₱75.5

155.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.46 ₱89.7

217.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.15 ₱133

-20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.26 ₱77.4

115.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.11 ₱68.4

72.07%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.80 ₱111

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.94 ₱428

44.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.17 ₱257

94.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.20 ₱444

61.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.35 ₱268

-31.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.87 ₱53.6

108.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.91 ₱179

-30.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.65 ₱102

23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.80 ₱172

-24.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$4.19 ₱258

-45.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.56 ₱96.3

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.01 ₱62.4

11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.15 ₱195

35.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.16 ₱565

69.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.62 ₱100.0

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.02 ₱125

78.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱15.90

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.78 ₱48.23

76.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.24 ₱14.86

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.10 ₱129

159.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.09 ₱67.2

19.27%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$25.9K ₱1.6M

-27.89%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

12.08%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$53.5 ₱3,300

-23.65%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.33 ₱2,056

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$28.40 ₱1,751

5.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.49 ₱2,065

55.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.31 ₱265

522.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.92 ₱427

-8.96%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$81.0 ₱4,995

438.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,795 ₱172.4K

272.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$32.25 ₱1,989

75.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$29.79 ₱1,837

48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$96.3 ₱5,939

6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$92.1 ₱5,680

14.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$243 ₱15.0K

319.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$174 ₱10.7K

261.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$402 ₱24.8K

431.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$281 ₱17.3K

342.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,285 ₱140.9K

70.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$946 ₱58.3K

118.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$145 ₱8,945

668.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.13

39.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $243 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 669% 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 $21.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $221 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 96% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $749 including rent). Santa Rosa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 669% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $243 in Santa Rosa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $81.0 in Santa Rosa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rosa – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $749 in Santa Rosa versus $1,467 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 96% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.