Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,870 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,648 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,427 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is roughly 29% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Cruz de Tenerife 39% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.12

$12.98 MX$223

35.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €49.45

$52.6 MX$903

9.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.83

$9.43 MX$162

8.70%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.75

$3.57 MX$61.3

-43.14%

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

$1.83 €1.58

$1.61 MX$27.55

13.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.15 MX$19.81

-7.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 €2.48

$3.15 MX$54.0

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.86 MX$83.4

-34.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.70 MX$29.17

-27.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.64 MX$45.23

-35.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.90 MX$32.67

-24.21%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.71

$2.54 MX$43.62

23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 €14.49

$10.08 MX$173

66.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 €7.44

$8.29 MX$142

4.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 €12.28

$11.57 MX$199

23.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.03 MX$52.0

-17.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.71 MX$29.35

1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.05 MX$35.16

-22.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.06 MX$35.36

26.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$2.06 MX$35.43

-21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.17 MX$37.25

-23.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.40 MX$24.08

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$1.12 MX$19.26

-36.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 €4.43

$4.29 MX$73.7

19.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 €7.14

$15.41 MX$265

-46.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.67 MX$28.74

-7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$3.69 MX$63.3

-52.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.38 MX$6.55

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.38 €30.48

$19.06 MX$327

85.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.08

$1.38 MX$23.70

243.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.10

$0.28 MX$4.74

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.42 €15.01

$5.42 MX$92.9

221.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.28 MX$21.98

25.78%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

103.31%

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

$29.6K €25.5K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

25.96%

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

$91.4 €78.8

$41.02 MX$704

122.84%

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

$21.34 €18.39

$26.92 MX$462

-20.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.32 €26.99

$29.69 MX$510

5.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 €43.56

$52.3 MX$898

-3.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 €9.61

$26.23 MX$450

-57.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 €8.68

$6.18 MX$106

63.11%

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

$343 €296

$427 MX$7,331

-19.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,434 €7,267

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-21.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 €70.8

$56.8 MX$975

44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 €28.88

$44.83 MX$769

-25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €73.2

$105 MX$1,794

-18.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 €59.7

$106 MX$1,819

-34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,007

$995 MX$17.1K

17.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 €847

$621 MX$10.7K

58.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 €1,395

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 €1,138

$1,254 MX$21.5K

5.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 €3,440

$3,903 MX$67.0K

2.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,223 €1,915

$2,096 MX$36.0K

6.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,899 €1,636

$1,107 MX$19.0K

71.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.34

-69.14%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz de Tenerife: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,169 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 72% 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: $57.0 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $288, with Santa Cruz de Tenerife cheaper for home cooking.

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

Santa Cruz de Tenerife vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Mexico City differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,870 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife pays 72% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,169 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $995 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 86% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $343 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,870 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 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.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.