Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Zaragoza, El Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Zaragoza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Zaragoza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $635 in Zaragoza.

Mexico City $1,608
Zaragoza $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,036 in Zaragoza.

Mexico City $2,549
Zaragoza $1,036

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,437 in Zaragoza.

Mexico City $3,490
Zaragoza $1,437

Living in Mexico City is roughly 153% more expensive than in Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Zaragoza is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$6.95 $6.95

52.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$29.51 $29.51

63.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$6.96 $6.96

48.71%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$1.54 $1.54

139.61%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$1.11 $1.11

50.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.81 $0.81

56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.24 $1.24

157.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.12 $2.12

150.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.78 $1.78

-3.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$2.27 $2.27

33.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.97 $0.97

100.00%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.50 $2.50

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$7.49 $7.49

46.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$3.92 $3.92

135.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$5.36 $5.36

182.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.99 $3.99

-23.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.42 $1.42

36.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.58 $2.58

-21.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$2.14 $2.14

7.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.96 $2.96

-31.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.82 $1.82

-1.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.96 $0.96

54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.79 $0.79

60.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$3.77 $3.77

40.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$8.20 $8.20

96.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.60 $1.60

23.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$2.21 $2.21

92.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$1.48 $1.48

-79.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$4.90 $4.90

-62.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$2.93 $2.93

-81.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$20.10 $20.10

-73.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.12 $1.12

34.82%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$24.8K $24.8K

-12.19%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$24.6K $24.6K

-2.62%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$46.09 $46.09

36.65%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$21.21 $21.21

29.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$35.34 $35.34

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$34.94 $34.94

68.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$5.03 $5.03

27.24%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$150 $150

187.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$4,759 $4,759

140.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$67.3 $67.3

1.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$46.68 $46.68

13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$112 $112

-3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$69.5 $69.5

68.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.5

33.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Zaragoza

$217 34.1% 32.2% $103

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Zaragoza

$113 17.8% 43.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 14.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Zaragoza

$103 16.2% 18.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 37.3% $27

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Zaragoza

$25 * 4% 0% $0

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $30 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $217 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

11,749

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Zaragoza 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Zaragoza

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zaragoza differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $635 including rent). Zaragoza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $953 in Zaragoza 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.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $150 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $30 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza 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.