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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Sala versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,351 in Sala versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,083 in Sala versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Sala costs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 18% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 SEK 123

$11.92 MX$206

4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 SEK 608

$51.6 MX$890

19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 SEK 99.2

$11.41 MX$197

-11.83%

Cappuccino

$3.30 SEK 32.50

$3.99 MX$68.9

-17.29%

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

$1.87 SEK 18.44

$1.66 MX$28.61

12.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 23.01

$1.33 MX$22.87

75.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 SEK 70.2

$3.47 MX$59.9

105.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 72.2

$5.90 MX$102

24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.88

$1.88 MX$32.36

-3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$3.25 MX$56.1

-19.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.85

$2.16 MX$37.26

68.52%

Eggs

$5.00 SEK 49.28

$2.90 MX$49.94

72.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 117

$12.86 MX$222

-7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.80 SEK 136

$10.05 MX$173

37.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 SEK 225

$15.86 MX$273

43.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.39

$3.29 MX$56.8

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 26.39

$2.01 MX$34.60

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 26.85

$2.20 MX$37.93

23.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 SEK 48.51

$2.36 MX$40.63

108.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 15.16

$2.05 MX$35.43

-24.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 SEK 12.06

$1.90 MX$32.79

-35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 26.82

$1.61 MX$27.68

68.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 10.05

$1.40 MX$24.09

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.33 SEK 72.2

$5.46 MX$94.2

34.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 SEK 62.1

$17.65 MX$304

-64.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.80

$2.06 MX$35.44

-2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 19.00

$4.68 MX$80.8

-58.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 SEK 30.65

$0.34 MX$5.84

814.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.82 SEK 215

$20.81 MX$359

4.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 59.4

$2.10 MX$36.15

187.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SEK 18.17

$0.56 MX$9.64

228.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.3 SEK 820

$5.81 MX$100

1332.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.31

$1.61 MX$27.68

9.32%

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

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

50.95%

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

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

28.09%

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

$186 SEK 1,835

$65.2 MX$1,124

185.75%

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

$21.01 SEK 207

$30.09 MX$519

-30.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 385

$37.18 MX$641

5.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.16 SEK 465

$59.8 MX$1,030

-21.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.57 SEK 203

$26.55 MX$458

-22.52%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 SEK 162

$7.04 MX$121

133.52%

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

$164 SEK 1,618

$465 MX$8,012

-64.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-90.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.96 SEK 453

$75.9 MX$1,308

-39.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 SEK 360

$56.0 MX$965

-34.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 SEK 544

$112 MX$1,929

-50.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 SEK 570

$121 MX$2,078

-52.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,464

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 SEK 5,285

$721 MX$12.4K

-25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 SEK 9,533

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-61.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 SEK 7,040

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-44.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

5.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

40.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

139.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

11.3

-71.68%

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

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $757 in Sala and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Sala vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $345 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

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

Sala and Mexico City differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,619 vs $1,660 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 140% higher in Sala, 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: $757 in Sala versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sala runs roughly 5% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $164 in Sala versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,619 in Sala versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sala 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, Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.