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: $1,496 in Sala versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,234 in Sala versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,973 in Sala versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Sala is roughly 1% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 12% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.80 SEK 119

$12.98 MX$226

-1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 SEK 589

$53.1 MX$923

19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 SEK 94.1

$9.72 MX$169

4.42%

Cappuccino

$3.18 SEK 29.46

$3.75 MX$65.2

-15.20%

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

$1.83 SEK 17.00

$1.57 MX$27.30

16.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 22.92

$1.13 MX$19.64

118.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 67.6

$3.18 MX$55.3

129.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 SEK 70.1

$4.66 MX$81.1

62.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.01

$1.62 MX$28.21

12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 SEK 24.57

$2.71 MX$47.09

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 34.12

$1.88 MX$32.70

95.74%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 37.73

$2.51 MX$43.65

62.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 109

$10.08 MX$175

16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 SEK 110

$8.29 MX$144

43.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 SEK 148

$11.94 MX$208

33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 28.01

$2.86 MX$49.77

5.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.03

$1.75 MX$30.45

54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.25

$2.08 MX$36.27

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 SEK 47.63

$1.97 MX$34.27

160.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.08

$2.16 MX$37.58

-29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 SEK 11.10

$2.18 MX$37.94

-44.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 25.24

$1.39 MX$24.20

95.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SEK 9.88

$1.12 MX$19.57

-4.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.55 SEK 70.0

$4.20 MX$73.1

79.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 SEK 60.0

$14.25 MX$248

-54.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 SEK 22.95

$1.76 MX$30.68

40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.46

$3.68 MX$64.1

-48.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 29.81

$0.39 MX$6.71

725.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 SEK 203

$18.66 MX$325

17.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 SEK 58.0

$1.39 MX$24.12

349.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.39

$0.30 MX$5.29

453.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 SEK 195

$5.42 MX$94.3

288.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.34

$1.35 MX$23.50

46.67%

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

$42.7K SEK 395.4K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

125.89%

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

$34.4K SEK 318.6K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

48.46%

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

$88.1 SEK 816

$40.82 MX$710

115.75%

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

$21.33 SEK 198

$27.50 MX$479

-22.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.05 SEK 343

$30.38 MX$529

21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.76 SEK 452

$53.4 MX$930

-8.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.11 SEK 196

$26.30 MX$458

-19.73%

Cinema Ticket

$19.10 SEK 177

$6.27 MX$109

204.63%

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

$147 SEK 1,362

$436 MX$7,588

-66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,286 SEK 11.9K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-87.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.81 SEK 443

$56.8 MX$988

-15.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.57 SEK 339

$44.79 MX$779

-18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 SEK 516

$103 MX$1,789

-45.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 SEK 545

$108 MX$1,878

-45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 SEK 7,000

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 SEK 4,949

$620 MX$10.8K

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 SEK 9,125

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-53.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 SEK 6,676

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-41.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,275 SEK 39.6K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

10.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,074 SEK 28.5K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

31.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,601 SEK 24.1K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

143.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.34

-60.05%

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

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sala and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 144% 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: $63.0 in Sala vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 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

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

Sala and Mexico City differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,496 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sala pays 144% 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: $755 in Sala 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 17% less than in Sala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $147 in Sala versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in Sala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Sala. 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, 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.