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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,554 in Santa Teresa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,289 in Santa Teresa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $3,023 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 11% above, Santa Teresa 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$9.68 ₡4,339

35.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$43.26 ₡19.4K

23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$9.22 ₡4,136

1.19%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.75 ₡1,682

-1.33%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.98 ₡887

-19.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.64 ₡737

-31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.93 ₡1,315

7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$4.79 ₡2,150

1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.00 ₡895

-17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.87 ₡1,289

-5.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.17 ₡973

-11.98%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.02 ₡1,355

-14.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.80 ₡4,396

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$8.98 ₡4,026

-6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$13.44 ₡6,025

-11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$4.63 ₡2,077

-36.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.50 ₡672

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$4.08 ₡1,830

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$3.23 ₡1,450

-36.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$3.37 ₡1,512

-36.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.57 ₡1,152

-12.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.01 ₡455

37.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$2.91 ₡1,304

-61.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.90 ₡2,195

-13.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$13.82 ₡6,196

26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.44 ₡1,094

-29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.57 ₡1,151

41.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.03 ₡461

-66.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.81 ₡809

-23.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.85 ₡828

-84.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$7.98 ₡3,580

-33.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.41 ₡632

-3.55%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$38.0K ₡17.0M

-49.74%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$32.7K ₡14.6M

-27.73%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$84.7 ₡38.0K

-52.14%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$26.18 ₡11.7K

4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$50.8 ₡22.8K

-40.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$50.3 ₡22.6K

3.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$24.32 ₡10.9K

8.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$8.84 ₡3,962

-29.98%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$558 ₡250.4K

-23.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$12.8K ₡5.8M

-16.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$61.7 ₡27.7K

-5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$50.5 ₡22.6K

-11.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$126 ₡56.6K

-18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$105 ₡47.3K

3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$694 ₡311.3K

46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$596 ₡267.4K

4.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$1,443 ₡647.2K

46.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$957 ₡429.0K

27.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $694 in Santa Teresa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Santa Teresa. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $348, 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,554 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $2,332 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $694 in Santa Teresa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $558 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 $54.0 versus $43.00 in Santa Teresa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,554 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 6% less than in Santa Teresa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.