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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,174 in Santiago de Compostela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,900 in Santiago de Compostela.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than Santiago de Compostela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Santiago de Compostela 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$13.87 €11.94

-4.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$54.8 €47.16

-1.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.65 €8.31

-2.38%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.94 €1.67

82.99%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.36 €2.03

-31.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$2.02 €1.74

-45.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$3.03 €2.61

2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.65 €3.15

26.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.15 €0.99

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.21 €1.04

124.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.61 €1.39

18.63%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.97 €2.56

-14.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.29 €8.00

7.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.30 €5.43

28.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$17.02 €14.65

-31.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.83 €1.57

62.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.22 €1.91

-18.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.53 €1.32

31.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.84 €2.45

-28.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.13 €1.83

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.52 €1.31

49.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.18 €1.01

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.69 €0.59

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$6.16 €5.31

-30.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.39 €4.64

188.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.49 €1.28

18.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.41 €2.07

49.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.25 €1.07

-69.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.88 €30.04

-45.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.58 €3.95

-69.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.26 €1.09

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$22.95 €19.76

-76.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.82 €1.56

-28.57%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$28.4K €24.5K

-34.21%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$31.2K €26.9K

-25.96%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$162 €140

-74.84%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$21.15 €18.21

26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$33.39 €28.75

-10.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$41.32 €35.58

25.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$2.32 €2.00

1056.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.00 €8.61

-37.00%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$349 €301

24.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$8,176 €7,040

27.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$77.4 €66.6

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$32.12 €27.66

38.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$86.3 €74.3

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$97.7 €84.2

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$730 €629

39.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$526 €453

19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,033 €889

106.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$881 €759

41.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$3,181 €2,739

22.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,224 €1,915

-7.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,974 €1,700

-43.51%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $730 in Santiago de Compostela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 77% 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 $55.0 in Santiago de Compostela. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $241, 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,447 including rent). Santiago de Compostela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santiago de Compostela earns 77% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $730 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $349 in Santiago de Compostela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,467 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 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.