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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $808 in Salento versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,204 in Salento versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,600 in Salento versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Salento costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salento is 39% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 COP 12.3K

$13.14 MX$229

-70.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.73 COP 75.7K

$53.5 MX$934

-55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 COP 22.9K

$9.33 MX$163

-23.15%

Cappuccino

$1.49 COP 4,740

$3.70 MX$64.5

-59.73%

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

$0.87 COP 2,785

$1.60 MX$27.98

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 COP 1,835

$1.12 MX$19.49

-48.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 COP 3,810

$3.14 MX$54.7

-62.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 COP 7,145

$4.85 MX$84.5

-53.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 COP 3,405

$1.65 MX$28.84

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 COP 3,966

$2.71 MX$47.34

-54.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,660

$1.91 MX$33.29

-39.79%

Eggs

$2.12 COP 6,762

$2.59 MX$45.17

-18.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.63 COP 14.8K

$9.81 MX$171

-52.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 COP 16.5K

$8.43 MX$147

-38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 COP 23.6K

$11.93 MX$208

-38.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 COP 8,101

$2.95 MX$51.5

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,423

$1.74 MX$30.35

-38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,351

$2.04 MX$35.66

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,387

$2.06 MX$35.93

-48.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,596

$2.15 MX$37.49

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,720

$2.26 MX$39.33

-48.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 COP 2,628

$1.39 MX$24.17

-41.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,058

$1.12 MX$19.47

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 COP 7,847

$4.22 MX$73.6

-41.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 COP 30.2K

$17.51 MX$305

-45.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,475

$1.71 MX$29.82

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,541

$3.63 MX$63.4

-52.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,191

$0.35 MX$6.15

97.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.74 COP 94.9K

$19.32 MX$337

53.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 COP 4,739

$1.38 MX$24.00

7.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 COP 5,730

$0.28 MX$4.81

542.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 COP 18.8K

$5.28 MX$92.0

11.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 COP 3,055

$1.36 MX$23.69

-29.41%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

-7.82%

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

$25.1K COP 80.0M

$23.6K MX$411.7K

6.28%

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

$81.0 COP 258.4K

$40.53 MX$707

99.85%

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

$9.23 COP 29.5K

$27.38 MX$478

-66.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.66 COP 72.3K

$30.38 MX$530

-25.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.65 COP 75.5K

$52.2 MX$911

-54.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$6.19 MX$108

-35.38%

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

$240 COP 764.3K

$425 MX$7,414

-43.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,011 COP 19.2M

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-44.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 COP 191.7K

$58.3 MX$1,017

3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 COP 105.7K

$44.57 MX$777

-25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 COP 267.0K

$103 MX$1,805

-19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 COP 234.1K

$109 MX$1,897

-32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 COP 880.4K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-72.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 COP 751.1K

$623 MX$10.9K

-62.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 COP 1.7M

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-74.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 COP 1.3M

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-66.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,453 COP 4.6M

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-61.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,052 COP 3.4M

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-50.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

11.34

15.17%

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

Last update for Salento: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Salento and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Salento vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $293 per month, with Salento 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

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

Salento and Mexico City differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($808 vs $1,472 including rent). Salento is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,212 in Salento and $2,208 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $276 in Salento versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Salento runs roughly 54% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $240 in Salento versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $808 in Salento versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Salento 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, Salento 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 Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.