Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,256 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,841 in Sacramento, CA versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,426 in Sacramento, CA versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Sacramento, CA is roughly 122% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sacramento, CA 143% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$13.30 MX$231

49.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$53.8 MX$932

45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 $10.52

$9.42 MX$163

11.68%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.59 MX$62.3

56.82%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$1.62 MX$28.13

59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.12 MX$19.49

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.25 MX$56.3

141.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.65 MX$80.6

70.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.64 MX$28.37

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.65 MX$46.00

58.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.96 MX$33.99

175.51%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$2.54 MX$44.08

83.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$9.97 MX$173

57.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$8.39 MX$145

77.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$11.83 MX$205

61.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.86 MX$49.62

81.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.73 MX$30.05

19.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.99 MX$34.50

102.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.05 MX$35.51

235.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.06 MX$35.64

83.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.28 MX$39.54

110.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.45 MX$25.05

85.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.09 MX$18.83

119.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$4.27 MX$73.9

172.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$14.67 MX$254

7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.76 MX$30.58

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.57 MX$61.8

-17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.38 MX$6.67

542.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.8 $98.8

$18.73 MX$325

427.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.39 MX$24.09

181.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.30 MX$5.26

536.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.22 $27.22

$5.41 MX$93.8

403.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.34 MX$23.22

-6.72%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

59.38%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

24.55%

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

$328 $328

$40.30 MX$698

715.01%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$27.15 MX$471

114.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$29.46 MX$510

154.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.29 $45.29

$52.7 MX$914

-14.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.01 $30.01

$26.17 MX$454

14.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.99 $13.99

$6.18 MX$107

126.38%

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

$1,678 $1,678

$441 MX$7,637

280.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

159.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 $60.7

$57.2 MX$992

6.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 $64.9

$45.04 MX$781

44.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 $92.5

$103 MX$1,793

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$109 MX$1,884

14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,000 MX$17.3K

102.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 $1,696

$632 MX$11.0K

168.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,568 $3,568

$2,141 MX$37.1K

66.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$1,253 MX$21.7K

125.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,012 $5,012

$3,745 MX$64.9K

33.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,687 $3,687

$2,381 MX$41.3K

54.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,631 $4,631

$1,079 MX$18.7K

329.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.34

-42.06%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: April 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Sacramento, CA and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sacramento, CA pays 329% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78 in Sacramento, CA vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $286 per month, with Mexico City 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

Sacramento, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sacramento, CA and Mexico City differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($3,256 vs $1,466 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sacramento, CA pays 329% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,021 in Sacramento, CA versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 427% less than in Sacramento, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,678 in Sacramento, CA versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $3,256 in Sacramento, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Sacramento, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Sacramento, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.