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: $765 in Sale versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Sale versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,724 in Sale versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Sale costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sale is 43% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 MAD 43.36

$13.07 MX$229

-64.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.54 MAD 303

$53.8 MX$943

-39.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 MAD 62.6

$9.68 MX$170

-30.68%

Cappuccino

$1.98 MAD 18.43

$3.74 MX$65.6

-47.06%

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

$0.69 MAD 6.42

$1.62 MX$28.34

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.48

$1.16 MX$20.37

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 MAD 50.5

$3.23 MX$56.6

67.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MAD 37.19

$4.74 MX$83.1

-15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 MAD 8.83

$1.65 MX$28.89

-42.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MAD 5.08

$2.75 MX$48.30

-80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MAD 17.78

$1.87 MX$32.87

2.14%

Eggs

$1.99 MAD 18.58

$2.50 MX$43.86

-20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 MAD 121

$10.20 MX$179

27.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 MAD 55.8

$8.25 MX$145

-27.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MAD 110

$11.82 MX$207

-0.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 MAD 14.03

$3.01 MX$52.8

-50.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MAD 13.04

$1.81 MX$31.77

-22.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 MAD 9.02

$2.00 MX$35.07

-51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 MAD 8.39

$2.00 MX$35.00

-55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.49

$2.08 MX$36.56

-61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.39

$2.27 MX$39.85

-65.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 MAD 3.67

$1.46 MX$25.55

-73.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.49

$1.08 MX$18.88

-45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MAD 39.73

$4.35 MX$76.3

-2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.97 MAD 46.38

$16.99 MX$298

-70.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MAD 24.58

$1.73 MX$30.40

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MAD 23.74

$3.58 MX$62.7

-28.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MAD 4.99

$0.39 MX$6.79

35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.65 MAD 230

$18.69 MX$328

31.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MAD 5.00

$1.33 MX$23.25

-59.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MAD 4.86

$0.28 MX$4.91

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 MAD 40.08

$5.25 MX$92.1

-18.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MAD 14.37

$1.34 MX$23.44

14.93%

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

$37.3K MAD 347.6K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

92.06%

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

$29.9K MAD 279.3K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

25.67%

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

$33.10 MAD 309

$40.69 MX$714

-18.65%

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

$10.92 MAD 102

$26.87 MX$471

-59.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.41 MAD 423

$30.51 MX$535

48.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.62 MAD 136

$52.8 MX$926

-72.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 MAD 218

$26.65 MX$467

-12.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.56 MAD 61.2

$6.51 MX$114

0.77%

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

$111 MAD 1,030

$428 MX$7,508

-74.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,395 MAD 59.6K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-39.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.41 MAD 405

$57.3 MX$1,004

-24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.78 MAD 464

$45.50 MX$798

9.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MAD 1,016

$104 MX$1,825

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 MAD 922

$108 MX$1,891

-8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 MAD 2,609

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 MAD 1,608

$623 MX$10.9K

-72.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MAD 4,713

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-76.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 MAD 2,809

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-75.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,163 MAD 10.8K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-70.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$850 MAD 7,926

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-58.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$543 MAD 5,062

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-47.69%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Sale and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 91% 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: $33.00 in Sale vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $292 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 90% in total monthly costs ($765 vs $1,456 including rent). Sale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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: $280 in Sale versus $1,003 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $111 in Sale versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $765 in Sale versus $1,456 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.