Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Todos Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Todos Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,488 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,184 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,880 in Todos Santos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 12% more expensive than in Todos Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Todos Santos 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.55 MX$198

3.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$47.13 MX$809

9.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$9.16 MX$157

24.56%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.70 MX$63.5

7.84%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.48 MX$25.47

12.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$1.14 MX$19.59

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.88 MX$49.38

20.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$4.36 MX$74.9

35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.68 MX$28.86

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$2.84 MX$48.78

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.55 MX$26.65

39.35%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.66 MX$45.70

9.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.74 MX$167

32.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$7.67 MX$132

31.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$13.02 MX$223

21.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.87 MX$49.27

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.65 MX$28.33

21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.02 MX$34.63

8.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.90 MX$32.58

24.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.15 MX$36.82

-4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.93 MX$33.13

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.52 MX$26.05

5.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.13 MX$19.48

23.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$4.75 MX$81.5

14.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$11.16 MX$192

58.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.90 MX$32.65

8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$3.43 MX$58.9

36.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.71 MX$12.14

-52.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.06 MX$52.5

-31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$1.92 MX$32.95

-70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$12.93 MX$222

-55.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.53 MX$26.22

5.23%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$20.3K MX$348.0K

12.67%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$26.5K MX$454.8K

0.95%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$62.7 MX$1,076

3.96%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$23.81 MX$409

26.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$32.17 MX$552

15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$32.54 MX$559

83.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$19.70 MX$338

34.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.08 MX$104

15.79%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$261 MX$4,481

77.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,389 MX$75.3K

202.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$57.4 MX$985

32.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$46.45 MX$797

20.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$101 MX$1,730

11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$83.5 MX$1,433

44.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$1,029 MX$17.7K

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$697 MX$12.0K

3.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$2,060 MX$35.4K

22.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$1,051 MX$18.0K

23.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,716 MX$29.4K

132.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,086 MX$18.6K

92.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $1,029 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $279 per month, with Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Todos Santos differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,488 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $2,232 in Todos Santos 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $1,029 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $261 in Todos Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Todos Santos – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,488 in Todos Santos versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Todos Santos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.