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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,523 in Santa Teresa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $2,305 in Santa Teresa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $3,086 in Santa Teresa.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 5% less than in Santa Teresa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Santa Teresa 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$225

$10.24 ₡4,615

26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$908

$42.12 ₡19.0K

24.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$168

$9.62 ₡4,335

0.73%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.1

$3.86 ₡1,741

-2.85%

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

$1.56 MX$27.14

$1.99 ₡898

-21.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.10

$1.65 ₡742

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$56.3

$3.03 ₡1,366

6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$85.0

$4.57 ₡2,061

7.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$2.07 ₡932

-17.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$46.30

$2.85 ₡1,285

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.77

$2.16 ₡971

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.74

$3.01 ₡1,355

-16.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$174

$10.10 ₡4,552

-0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$148

$9.19 ₡4,143

-7.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$207

$13.58 ₡6,119

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.6

$4.53 ₡2,041

-34.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.14

$1.45 ₡651

23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.69

$4.28 ₡1,928

-53.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.03

$3.08 ₡1,387

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$3.27 ₡1,473

-33.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.38

$2.54 ₡1,146

-10.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.34

$0.94 ₡425

48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.34

$2.94 ₡1,325

-62.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.9

$4.89 ₡2,201

-14.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$287

$14.13 ₡6,369

17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.19

$2.31 ₡1,041

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.68 ₡1,206

33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.96 ₡434

-59.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.98

$1.79 ₡805

-22.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.24

$1.85 ₡835

-83.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$93.5

$7.92 ₡3,570

-31.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.32

$1.45 ₡653

-11.03%

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

$18.9K MX$327.9K

$38.2K ₡17.2M

-50.47%

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

$23.8K MX$413.0K

$32.0K ₡14.4M

-25.57%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$84.1 ₡37.9K

-52.60%

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

$27.83 MX$483

$26.39 ₡11.9K

5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$517

$50.2 ₡22.6K

-40.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$902

$49.49 ₡22.3K

4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$455

$23.93 ₡10.8K

9.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$9.18 ₡4,136

-31.70%

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

$433 MX$7,508

$568 ₡255.8K

-23.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$12.4K ₡5.6M

-15.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$989

$63.7 ₡28.7K

-10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$787

$52.3 ₡23.6K

-13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,768

$125 ₡56.5K

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

$108 ₡48.8K

0.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.2K

$702 ₡316.1K

41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$592 ₡266.6K

4.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$36.2K

$1,413 ₡636.5K

47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.8K

$973 ₡438.5K

29.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$36.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.17

11.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $702 in Santa Teresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Santa Teresa. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $350, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santa Teresa differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,523 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $2,285 in Santa Teresa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $702 in Santa Teresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $568 in Santa Teresa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $42.00 in Santa Teresa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,523 in Santa Teresa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Santa Teresa. 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 Teresa 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 5% less than in Santa Teresa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.