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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,092 in Todos Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,739 in Todos Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,386 in Todos Santos.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than Todos Santos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Todos Santos is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.77 MX$188

20.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$39.51 MX$691

34.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.02 MX$140

21.20%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.40 MX$59.4

10.29%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.24 MX$21.62

26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.91 MX$15.91

24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.33 MX$40.82

36.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.96 MX$69.4

17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.48 MX$25.95

9.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.53 MX$44.26

7.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.61 MX$28.13

16.77%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.41 MX$42.25

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.26 MX$144

22.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.96 MX$139

4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.74 MX$188

11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.66 MX$46.53

7.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.40 MX$24.56

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.72 MX$30.02

20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.66 MX$29.06

18.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.92 MX$33.63

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.02 MX$35.29

7.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.25 MX$21.94

11.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.02 MX$17.82

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.11 MX$71.9

2.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$10.75 MX$188

32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.62 MX$28.40

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.72 MX$47.59

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.61 MX$10.71

-36.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.67 MX$46.65

-47.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.59 MX$27.77

-81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$8.34 MX$146

-35.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.33 MX$23.24

1.50%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.2K MX$370.1K

-10.72%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$22.4K MX$391.3K

3.54%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$57.4 MX$1,004

-28.82%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$22.09 MX$387

24.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$28.28 MX$495

7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$35.61 MX$623

50.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$16.04 MX$281

63.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.69 MX$82.1

33.69%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$209 MX$3,650

109.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,562 MX$62.3K

193.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$53.5 MX$936

6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$39.23 MX$687

14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$88.9 MX$1,555

15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$80.6 MX$1,411

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$502 MX$8,793

98.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$392 MX$6,868

58.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$930 MX$16.3K

129.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$765 MX$13.4K

61.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,814 MX$31.7K

113.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,301 MX$22.8K

79.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $502 in Todos Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Todos Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $252 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,092 including rent). Todos Santos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,638 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $502 in Todos Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $209 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 $40.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,092 in Todos Santos versus $1,484 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.