Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in San Salvador versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,165 in San Salvador versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,834 in San Salvador versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in San Salvador is roughly 1% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Salvador 12% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 $8.19

$13.16 MX$229

-37.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.70 $34.70

$53.6 MX$934

-35.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 $6.94

$9.55 MX$167

-27.33%

Cappuccino

$3.28 $3.28

$3.72 MX$64.9

-11.83%

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

$1.14 $1.14

$1.57 MX$27.33

-27.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.16 MX$20.16

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.18 MX$55.5

-36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.63 MX$80.8

-36.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.71 MX$29.74

7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.62 MX$45.63

-22.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.89 MX$32.93

-21.69%

Eggs

$2.80 $2.80

$2.60 MX$45.26

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$9.91 MX$173

-29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.22 MX$143

-16.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 $10.66

$11.78 MX$205

-9.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.00 MX$52.2

5.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.80 MX$31.38

-7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.07 MX$36.16

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.97 MX$34.30

37.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.07 MX$36.13

2.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.17 MX$37.92

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.40 MX$24.46

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.07 MX$18.74

-3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.12 MX$71.8

-1.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$17.42 MX$304

-30.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.68 MX$29.22

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.65 MX$63.6

-30.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.38 MX$6.63

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.75 $24.75

$18.71 MX$326

32.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.33 MX$23.18

324.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.30 MX$5.28

936.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$5.51 MX$96.1

264.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.31 MX$22.76

-23.66%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$19.2K MX$334.2K

33.27%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$23.7K MX$414.1K

16.51%

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

$104 $104

$41.14 MX$717

152.09%

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

$18.77 $18.77

$27.74 MX$484

-32.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.26 $42.26

$30.13 MX$525

40.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.79 $31.79

$53.7 MX$937

-40.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 $19.75

$25.98 MX$453

-23.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 $5.24

$6.49 MX$113

-19.26%

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

$143 $143

$437 MX$7,614

-67.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,050 $6,050

$10.5K MX$182.3K

-42.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$58.3 MX$1,017

14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.31 $43.31

$45.86 MX$800

-5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$101 MX$1,769

12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$107 MX$1,858

-2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 $829

$1,005 MX$17.5K

-17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 $703

$634 MX$11.0K

10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 $1,445

$2,148 MX$37.5K

-32.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$1,247 MX$21.7K

-13.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,769 $2,769

$3,859 MX$67.3K

-28.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,843 $1,843

$2,085 MX$36.3K

-11.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 $380

$1,072 MX$18.7K

-64.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.58

11.34

-24.34%

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

Last update for San Salvador: July 22, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in San Salvador and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 182% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in San Salvador vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $291 per month, with San Salvador 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 Salvador vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Salvador and Mexico City differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,496 vs $1,481 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 182% 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: $829 in San Salvador versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 32% less than in San Salvador. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $143 in San Salvador versus $437 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in San Salvador, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.