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: $648 in Sale versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,061 in Sale versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,475 in Sale versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Sale costs roughly 61% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 53% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MAD 35.28

$12.14 MX$206

-69.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.73 MAD 176

$53.9 MX$914

-65.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 MAD 69.6

$11.09 MX$188

-33.27%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MAD 18.05

$4.10 MX$69.5

-53.17%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.93

$1.68 MX$28.53

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 MAD 3.16

$1.39 MX$23.55

-75.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MAD 25.43

$3.33 MX$56.5

-18.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MAD 30.88

$5.88 MX$99.7

-44.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 MAD 8.82

$1.85 MX$31.41

-49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MAD 6.37

$3.17 MX$53.8

-78.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MAD 18.73

$2.07 MX$35.13

-3.86%

Eggs

$1.97 MAD 18.48

$2.93 MX$49.67

-32.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 MAD 110

$12.59 MX$214

-7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 MAD 65.3

$10.11 MX$172

-31.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 MAD 119

$16.09 MX$273

-21.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 MAD 13.09

$3.39 MX$57.5

-59.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 MAD 11.65

$2.08 MX$35.26

-40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.26

$2.12 MX$35.97

-58.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 MAD 8.22

$2.41 MX$40.95

-63.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.10

$2.13 MX$36.11

-64.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.19

$2.01 MX$34.02

-61.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 MAD 4.12

$1.55 MX$26.21

-71.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.45

$1.36 MX$23.15

-57.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 MAD 36.70

$5.77 MX$97.8

-32.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 MAD 44.29

$17.74 MX$301

-73.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 MAD 20.81

$2.07 MX$35.11

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 MAD 20.76

$4.61 MX$78.3

-52.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MAD 5.31

$0.37 MX$6.21

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.79 MAD 224

$21.18 MX$359

12.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 MAD 7.30

$2.05 MX$34.84

-61.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MAD 5.21

$0.58 MX$9.79

-5.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 MAD 38.98

$6.07 MX$103

-31.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.24

$1.55 MX$26.34

-1.94%

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

$35.5K MAD 333.7K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

55.22%

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

$31.5K MAD 296.0K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

15.66%

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

$39.46 MAD 371

$67.4 MX$1,144

-41.46%

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

$10.88 MAD 102

$30.62 MX$520

-64.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 MAD 397

$37.24 MX$632

13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.54 MAD 155

$61.5 MX$1,043

-73.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.35 MAD 407

$27.12 MX$460

59.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 MAD 49.25

$7.11 MX$121

-26.30%

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

$105 MAD 986

$456 MX$7,739

-76.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,048 MAD 56.8K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-55.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 MAD 310

$74.2 MX$1,259

-55.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.63 MAD 448

$57.0 MX$967

-16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 MAD 711

$115 MX$1,958

-34.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.4 MAD 643

$122 MX$2,061

-43.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 MAD 2,028

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-81.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 MAD 1,020

$709 MX$12.0K

-84.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 MAD 3,442

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-85.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MAD 2,529

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-79.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,161 MAD 10.9K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-71.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$862 MAD 8,101

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-59.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 MAD 5,058

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-50.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-55.75%

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

Last update for Sale: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $216 in Sale and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 101% 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: $19.00 in Sale vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $345 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 159% in total monthly costs ($648 vs $1,677 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 101% 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: $216 in Sale versus $1,148 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 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $105 in Sale versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $648 in Sale versus $1,677 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 159% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.