Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,778 in Saintes versus $1,591 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Saintes versus $2,478 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Saintes versus $3,365 in Mexico City.

Living in Saintes is roughly 12% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saintes 32% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 €18.93

$12.06 MX$219

76.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €61.0

$50.8 MX$923

35.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 €6.21

$10.90 MX$198

-35.87%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.46

$3.75 MX$68.2

3.73%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$1.61 MX$29.28

79.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.32 MX$23.89

3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 €6.63

$3.37 MX$61.1

121.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.09

$5.69 MX$103

-19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.77 MX$32.14

-38.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.63

$3.08 MX$55.9

-40.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.81

$1.97 MX$35.70

3.55%

Eggs

$2.28 €2.03

$2.79 MX$50.7

-18.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.03 €21.35

$11.92 MX$216

101.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 €9.82

$9.40 MX$171

17.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.90

$15.30 MX$278

16.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 €3.32

$3.16 MX$57.3

18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 €3.28

$1.98 MX$35.96

86.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.07 MX$37.60

-2.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 €4.38

$2.33 MX$42.26

111.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 €0.68

$2.07 MX$37.57

-62.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.92 MX$34.91

-36.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.52 MX$27.67

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.35

$1.32 MX$24.05

-70.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.40 €12.79

$5.26 MX$95.5

173.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 €7.94

$16.84 MX$306

-46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.09

$1.95 MX$35.43

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.24

$4.37 MX$79.4

-42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.34 MX$6.20

529.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 €38.04

$19.99 MX$363

114.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 €4.26

$1.98 MX$35.87

142.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.57 MX$10.42

224.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.89 €30.10

$5.42 MX$98.5

525.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.53 MX$27.74

31.37%

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$21.5K MX$390.2K

74.20%

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

$32.7K €29.0K

$25.3K MX$460.0K

29.03%

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

$136 €121

$61.5 MX$1,117

121.25%

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

$11.50 €10.22

$27.38 MX$497

-58.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 €30.24

$34.93 MX$634

-2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 €32.72

$56.8 MX$1,032

-35.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.27 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$10.38 €9.22

$6.84 MX$124

51.75%

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

$709 €630

$438 MX$7,958

61.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,423 €8,371

$12.8K MX$233.2K

-26.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.8

$71.2 MX$1,293

56.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 €35.98

$53.7 MX$976

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.4

$109 MX$1,983

1.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €135

$117 MX$2,120

30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 €696

$1,050 MX$19.1K

-25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 €471

$686 MX$12.5K

-22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 €1,226

$2,410 MX$43.8K

-42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €1,010

$1,258 MX$22.8K

-9.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,952 €3,510

$3,814 MX$69.2K

3.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 €2,518

$1,994 MX$36.2K

42.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$998 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.3

-66.46%

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

Last update for Saintes: September 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Saintes and $1,050 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Saintes vs $51.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $328 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

Saintes vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saintes and Mexico City differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,778 vs $1,591 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,667 in Saintes and $2,386 in Mexico City 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: $783 in Saintes versus $1,050 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 114% less than in Saintes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $709 in Saintes versus $438 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,591 in Mexico City versus $1,778 in Saintes, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Saintes. 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.

Safety-wise, Saintes and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Saintes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.