Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santiago de Compostela Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Santiago de Compostela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,169 in Santiago de Compostela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,916 in Santiago de Compostela.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than in Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Santiago de Compostela 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$13.69 €11.98

-4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$55.9 €48.94

-3.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$9.96 €8.72

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.88 €1.65

98.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$2.39 €2.09

-32.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$2.03 €1.78

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.11 €2.72

3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.87 €3.38

22.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.16 €1.01

42.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.21 €1.05

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.68 €1.47

11.31%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.98 €2.61

-16.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$9.34 €8.18

9.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.47 €5.66

27.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$17.58 €15.38

-32.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.88 €1.64

60.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$2.23 €1.95

-18.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.54 €1.35

29.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.91 €2.54

-31.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$2.09 €1.83

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.48 €1.30

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.18 €1.03

23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.70 €0.61

54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$6.08 €5.32

-28.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$5.17 €4.52

228.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.44 €1.26

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.50 €2.19

43.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$1.25 €1.09

-68.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$34.13 €29.86

-45.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$4.73 €4.14

-71.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.23 €1.07

-77.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$22.83 €19.97

-77.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.81 €1.59

-25.97%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$28.9K €25.3K

-32.84%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$31.2K €27.3K

-23.68%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$163 €143

-75.10%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$21.56 €18.86

24.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$32.84 €28.73

-7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$41.87 €36.63

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$2.25 €1.97

1084.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$9.97 €8.72

-34.70%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$342 €299

25.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$8,017 €7,014

30.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$76.3 €66.8

-25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$31.64 €27.68

43.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$85.1 €74.4

22.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$94.9 €83.1

13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$753 €659

33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$526 €461

18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,011 €884

108.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$853 €746

42.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$3,050 €2,669

27.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$2,197 €1,923

-7.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$1,941 €1,698

-46.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.33

240.54%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $753 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 87% 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 $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $244, with Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Santiago de Compostela differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,422 including rent). Santiago de Compostela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Santiago de Compostela. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $753 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago de Compostela runs roughly 83% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $342 in Santiago de Compostela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.