Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,058 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,620 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in San Pedro de Atacama costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Pedro de Atacama is 21% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 CLP 6,542

$13.18 MX$228

-44.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.15 CLP 40.1K

$53.9 MX$932

-16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 CLP 7,013

$9.42 MX$163

-16.14%

Cappuccino

$2.82 CLP 2,505

$3.55 MX$61.4

-20.56%

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

$1.63 CLP 1,443

$1.62 MX$27.98

0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 CLP 1,045

$1.11 MX$19.27

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 CLP 3,177

$3.12 MX$54.0

14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CLP 3,585

$4.63 MX$80.1

-12.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,050

$1.70 MX$29.43

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 CLP 1,342

$2.72 MX$47.02

-44.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 CLP 1,515

$1.91 MX$33.07

-10.47%

Eggs

$3.65 CLP 3,241

$2.54 MX$43.86

43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 CLP 8,924

$10.03 MX$174

0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 CLP 5,962

$8.09 MX$140

-16.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.44 CLP 10.2K

$11.62 MX$201

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 CLP 1,755

$2.97 MX$51.3

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,375

$1.81 MX$31.24

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 CLP 1,571

$2.01 MX$34.82

-11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,470

$2.03 MX$35.20

-18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,400

$2.12 MX$36.75

-25.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,340

$2.27 MX$39.25

-33.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 CLP 1,156

$1.40 MX$24.22

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,095

$1.13 MX$19.55

8.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 CLP 4,514

$4.27 MX$73.9

19.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 CLP 4,446

$15.56 MX$269

-67.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CLP 1,390

$1.76 MX$30.39

-10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 CLP 1,907

$3.60 MX$62.2

-40.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 551

$0.38 MX$6.62

63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 CLP 626

$1.38 MX$23.79

-48.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,222

$1.30 MX$22.55

6.15%

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

$17.9K CLP 15.8M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

-4.46%

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

$19.3K CLP 17.2M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-16.45%

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

$132 CLP 117.4K

$40.86 MX$707

223.79%

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

$13.72 CLP 12.2K

$26.81 MX$464

-48.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.76 CLP 19.3K

$29.96 MX$518

-27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 CLP 34.3K

$52.0 MX$900

-25.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.19 CLP 20.6K

$26.84 MX$464

-13.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.28 CLP 4,682

$6.30 MX$109

-16.19%

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

$381 CLP 337.9K

$436 MX$7,544

-12.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.49 CLP 42.1K

$56.7 MX$980

-16.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 CLP 21.8K

$44.38 MX$768

-44.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 CLP 54.1K

$103 MX$1,780

-40.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 CLP 72.2K

$106 MX$1,825

-22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 CLP 426.6K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-52.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 CLP 328.2K

$631 MX$10.9K

-41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 CLP 779.2K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 CLP 534.4K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-51.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,290 CLP 2.0M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-41.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.34

-55.82%

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

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in San Pedro de Atacama and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in San Pedro de Atacama vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $288 per month, with San Pedro de Atacama 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

San Pedro de Atacama vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro de Atacama and Mexico City differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,058 vs $1,467 including rent). San Pedro de Atacama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,587 in San Pedro de Atacama and $2,201 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: $481 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $381 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,058 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Pedro de Atacama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro de Atacama 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, San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.