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: $1,491 in Sala versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,247 in Sala versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,003 in Sala versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Sala is roughly 3% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 11% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 SEK 118

$12.98 MX$223

-3.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 SEK 590

$52.6 MX$903

19.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 98.4

$9.43 MX$162

11.13%

Cappuccino

$3.20 SEK 29.99

$3.57 MX$61.3

-10.36%

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

$1.81 SEK 17.00

$1.61 MX$27.55

12.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 22.50

$1.15 MX$19.81

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 SEK 70.6

$3.15 MX$54.0

139.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 71.0

$4.86 MX$83.4

55.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SEK 17.26

$1.70 MX$29.17

8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 25.26

$2.64 MX$45.23

1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 35.07

$1.90 MX$32.67

96.84%

Eggs

$4.04 SEK 37.93

$2.54 MX$43.62

59.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 SEK 111

$10.08 MX$173

16.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$8.29 MX$142

40.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 SEK 149

$11.57 MX$199

36.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 29.59

$3.03 MX$52.0

3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.35

$1.71 MX$29.35

57.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.43

$2.05 MX$35.16

37.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 SEK 47.26

$2.06 MX$35.36

144.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.57

$2.06 MX$35.43

-24.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 SEK 11.15

$2.17 MX$37.25

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 25.46

$1.40 MX$24.08

93.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 SEK 9.73

$1.12 MX$19.26

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SEK 70.7

$4.29 MX$73.7

75.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 SEK 60.2

$15.41 MX$265

-58.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.45

$1.67 MX$28.74

49.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 18.14

$3.69 MX$63.3

-47.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 SEK 29.51

$0.38 MX$6.55

728.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.82 SEK 205

$19.06 MX$327

14.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 SEK 59.1

$1.38 MX$23.70

356.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.84

$0.28 MX$4.74

464.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 SEK 196

$5.42 MX$92.9

285.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 SEK 18.78

$1.28 MX$21.98

56.25%

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

$42.2K SEK 395.7K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

122.25%

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

$34.2K SEK 321.0K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

45.88%

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

$88.8 SEK 833

$41.02 MX$704

116.43%

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

$20.84 SEK 196

$26.92 MX$462

-22.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.20 SEK 349

$29.69 MX$510

25.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.92 SEK 450

$52.3 MX$898

-8.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.95 SEK 197

$26.23 MX$450

-20.13%

Cinema Ticket

$19.22 SEK 180

$6.18 MX$106

211.00%

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

$146 SEK 1,373

$427 MX$7,331

-65.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,254 SEK 11.8K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-88.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.54 SEK 437

$56.8 MX$975

-18.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 SEK 349

$44.83 MX$769

-16.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 SEK 514

$105 MX$1,794

-47.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.4 SEK 538

$106 MX$1,819

-45.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 SEK 7,256

$995 MX$17.1K

-22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 SEK 5,113

$621 MX$10.7K

-12.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 SEK 9,049

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-54.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 SEK 6,811

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-42.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 SEK 37.5K

$3,903 MX$67.0K

2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 SEK 31.2K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

58.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 SEK 24.1K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

132.02%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Sala and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 132% 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 $288 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,491 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sala pays 132% 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: $774 in Sala versus $995 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 14% less than in Sala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $146 in Sala versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,491 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 3% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.