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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,103 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,745 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,388 in Todos Santos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 31% more expensive than Todos Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Todos Santos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$10.61 MX$182

22.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$39.25 MX$674

34.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$8.12 MX$139

16.13%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.25 MX$55.8

9.85%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.28 MX$22.04

25.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.90 MX$15.44

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.41 MX$41.42

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.83 MX$65.7

26.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.44 MX$24.74

18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.62 MX$44.89

0.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.55 MX$26.60

22.58%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.32 MX$39.88

9.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.92 MX$136

27.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$8.07 MX$139

2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$10.56 MX$181

9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.59 MX$44.41

16.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.38 MX$23.75

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.79 MX$30.70

14.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.64 MX$28.21

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.93 MX$33.09

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.92 MX$33.04

13.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.21 MX$20.70

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.98 MX$16.82

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.27 MX$73.3

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$10.54 MX$181

46.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.61 MX$27.68

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.73 MX$46.88

35.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.66 MX$11.29

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.57 MX$44.19

-46.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.53 MX$26.29

-81.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.42 MX$144

-35.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.26 MX$21.65

1.59%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.2K MX$364.7K

-10.68%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$22.6K MX$387.4K

3.95%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$56.2 MX$964

-26.97%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$22.38 MX$384

20.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$28.57 MX$490

3.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$36.25 MX$622

44.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.61 MX$268

68.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.77 MX$81.8

29.56%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$210 MX$3,607

103.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,600 MX$61.8K

197.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$53.9 MX$926

5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$40.36 MX$693

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$88.9 MX$1,525

17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$78.2 MX$1,343

35.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$501 MX$8,598

98.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$393 MX$6,740

58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$948 MX$16.3K

124.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$747 MX$12.8K

67.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,745 MX$30.0K

123.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,141 MX$19.6K

83.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.48

-1.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $501 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $249 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,103 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,655 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $501 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $210 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 $39.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Todos Santos versus $1,447 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 31% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.