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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $790 in Sale versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,236 in Sale versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Sale versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Sale costs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 41% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 MAD 44.07

$13.18 MX$228

-63.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.28 MAD 297

$53.9 MX$934

-40.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MAD 61.3

$9.42 MX$163

-29.30%

Cappuccino

$2.07 MAD 19.07

$3.55 MX$61.5

-41.69%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.35

$1.62 MX$28.03

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MAD 3.71

$1.11 MX$19.31

-63.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MAD 51.8

$3.12 MX$54.1

80.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 MAD 38.70

$4.63 MX$80.2

-9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 MAD 8.69

$1.70 MX$29.48

-44.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 MAD 5.37

$2.72 MX$47.10

-78.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MAD 17.99

$1.91 MX$33.13

2.09%

Eggs

$2.05 MAD 18.89

$2.54 MX$43.94

-19.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 MAD 122

$10.03 MX$174

32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 MAD 57.8

$8.09 MX$140

-22.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 MAD 110

$11.62 MX$201

3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 MAD 13.86

$2.97 MX$51.4

-49.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 MAD 12.31

$1.81 MX$31.30

-25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 MAD 8.84

$2.01 MX$34.88

-52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 MAD 8.24

$2.03 MX$35.26

-56.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.35

$2.12 MX$36.82

-62.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.36

$2.27 MX$39.32

-64.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MAD 3.93

$1.40 MX$24.26

-69.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.52

$1.13 MX$19.59

-46.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MAD 40.72

$4.27 MX$74.0

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.04 MAD 46.37

$15.56 MX$270

-67.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.00

$1.76 MX$30.44

48.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 MAD 22.80

$3.60 MX$62.3

-31.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MAD 4.82

$0.38 MX$6.64

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.86 MAD 229

$19.18 MX$332

29.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.87

$1.38 MX$23.84

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MAD 4.50

$0.28 MX$4.79

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 MAD 41.45

$5.45 MX$94.4

-17.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 MAD 14.57

$1.30 MX$22.60

21.54%

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

$36.6K MAD 336.6K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

95.62%

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

$29.6K MAD 272.8K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

28.10%

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

$33.39 MAD 307

$40.86 MX$708

-18.28%

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

$10.94 MAD 101

$26.81 MX$465

-59.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.90 MAD 423

$29.96 MX$519

53.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.46 MAD 133

$52.0 MX$901

-72.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.50 MAD 216

$26.84 MX$465

-12.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 MAD 60.0

$6.30 MX$109

3.49%

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

$114 MAD 1,052

$436 MX$7,558

-73.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,309 MAD 58.1K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-39.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.83 MAD 394

$56.7 MX$982

-24.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 MAD 470

$44.38 MX$769

15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MAD 972

$103 MX$1,784

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 MAD 914

$106 MX$1,829

-5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 MAD 2,565

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-72.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 MAD 1,590

$631 MX$10.9K

-72.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 MAD 4,587

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-76.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 MAD 2,801

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-75.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,183 MAD 10.9K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-69.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$856 MAD 7,880

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-58.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$543 MAD 4,998

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-51.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

11.34

-57.58%

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

Last update for Sale: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Sale and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 105% 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: $32.00 in Sale vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $288 per month, with Sale 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

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

Sale and Mexico City differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($790 vs $1,467 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 105% less. 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: $279 in Sale versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sale runs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $114 in Sale versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $790 in Sale versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sale but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sale 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, Sale 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 Sale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.