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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $878 in Sal versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,352 in Sal versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,826 in Sal versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Sal costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sal is 36% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 CVE 548

$11.92 MX$206

-51.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.93 CVE 4,484

$51.6 MX$890

-9.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 CVE 1,098

$11.41 MX$197

0.70%

Cappuccino

$2.41 CVE 230

$3.99 MX$68.9

-39.60%

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

$2.70 CVE 258

$1.66 MX$28.61

62.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 CVE 107

$1.33 MX$22.87

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 CVE 442

$3.47 MX$59.9

33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CVE 293

$5.90 MX$102

-47.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 CVE 153

$1.88 MX$32.36

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CVE 217

$3.25 MX$56.1

-30.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CVE 121

$2.16 MX$37.26

-41.20%

Eggs

$2.99 CVE 286

$2.90 MX$49.94

3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 CVE 918

$12.86 MX$222

-25.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.68 CVE 734

$10.05 MX$173

-23.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 CVE 1,576

$15.86 MX$273

4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 CVE 324

$3.29 MX$56.8

3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 CVE 247

$2.01 MX$34.60

28.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 CVE 311

$2.20 MX$37.93

47.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CVE 395

$2.36 MX$40.63

75.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CVE 163

$2.05 MX$35.43

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CVE 184

$1.90 MX$32.79

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 CVE 152

$1.61 MX$27.68

-1.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CVE 112

$1.40 MX$24.09

-15.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 CVE 451

$5.46 MX$94.2

-13.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.62 CVE 633

$17.65 MX$304

-62.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.29 CVE 410

$2.06 MX$35.44

108.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CVE 179

$4.68 MX$80.8

-60.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CVE 103

$0.34 MX$5.84

217.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 CVE 202

$2.10 MX$36.15

0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 CVE 306

$0.56 MX$9.64

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 CVE 1,251

$5.81 MX$100

125.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CVE 136

$1.61 MX$27.68

-11.18%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

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

$61.7 CVE 5,891

$65.2 MX$1,124

-5.42%

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

$30.09 MX$519

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 CVE 4,857

$37.18 MX$641

36.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.28 CVE 2,702

$59.8 MX$1,030

-52.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

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

$119 CVE 11.4K

$465 MX$8,012

-74.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.87 CVE 2,949

$75.9 MX$1,308

-59.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 CVE 13.9K

$121 MX$2,078

20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 CVE 25.2K

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 CVE 16.3K

$721 MX$12.4K

-76.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 CVE 29.8K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-87.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 CVE 19.8K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-83.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$676 CVE 64.6K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-83.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$347 CVE 33.1K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-83.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 CVE 24.9K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

-74.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.3

-53.54%

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

Last update for Sal: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Sal and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 297% 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: $47.00 in Sal vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $345 per month, with Sal 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

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

Sal and Mexico City differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($878 vs $1,660 including rent). Sal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 297% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $264 in Sal versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $119 in Sal versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sal – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $878 in Sal versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sal but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sal 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, Sal 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 Sal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.