Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santarem Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santarem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,575 in Santarem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,069 in Santarem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,563 in Santarem.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 7% less than in Santarem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Santarem 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$13.91 €11.97

-5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$39.99 €34.40

34.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.66 €7.45

8.78%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.65 €1.42

115.15%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.31 €1.12

23.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.38 €1.18

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.34 €2.02

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.41 €2.93

35.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.08 €0.93

57.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.47 €0.41

478.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.17 €1.01

63.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.06 €2.63

-16.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.04 €9.50

-9.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.52 €6.47

7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.81 €11.88

-15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.60 €2.24

14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.37 €1.18

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.23 €1.92

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.35 €2.02

-13.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.48 €1.27

43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.66 €1.43

36.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.88 €0.76

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.30 €0.25

276.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.79 €4.98

-26.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.00 €5.16

159.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.28 €1.10

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.83 €3.30

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$2.26 €1.94

-83.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$42.55 €36.60

-54.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.67 €3.15

-62.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.39 €1.19

-79.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$17.62 €15.15

-69.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.99 €1.72

-34.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.8K €30.0K

-46.34%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$39.8K €34.2K

-41.82%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$84.5 €72.7

-51.62%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$21.79 €18.75

23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$49.45 €42.54

-39.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$38.87 €33.44

33.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.88 €5.92

-8.43%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$442 €381

-1.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,434 €7,255

23.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$85.1 €73.2

-33.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$39.38 €33.87

12.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$99.3 €85.4

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$92.1 €79.2

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$910 €783

12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$728 €626

-13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,457 €1,253

46.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$689 €593

80.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,267 €1,950

72.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,183 €1,018

74.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,089 €937

2.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.32

113.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santarem: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $910 in Santarem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Santarem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $227 per month, with Santarem 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 Santarem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santarem differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,575 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 2% 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 $910 in Santarem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 122% less than in Santarem. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $442 in Santarem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,575 in Santarem, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Santarem. 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 Santarem 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 7% less than in Santarem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.