Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Montpellier Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Montpellier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,872 in Santa Fe, NM versus $1,960 in Montpellier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,137 in Santa Fe, NM versus $2,922 in Montpellier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,402 in Santa Fe, NM versus $3,884 in Montpellier.

Living in Santa Fe, NM is roughly 47% more expensive than Montpellier, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Fe, NM 114% above, Montpellier 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 $17.23

$17.30 €14.88

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$56.9 €48.92

43.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.07 €11.24

-24.41%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$3.72 €3.20

46.24%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.72 €2.34

0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.91 €1.64

-6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$5.92 €5.09

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.50 €3.87

53.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.36 €1.17

-25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.98 €2.56

1.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.62 €2.25

24.81%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$4.19 €3.60

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$19.08 €16.41

-33.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$15.47 €13.31

-32.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.89 $19.89

$26.43 €22.74

-24.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.17 €2.73

49.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.29 €1.97

-38.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.48 €2.14

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.87 €3.33

14.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.36 €2.03

0.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.65 €2.28

-4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.58 €1.36

29.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.58 €0.50

296.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$14.04 €12.08

-29.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$8.12 €6.99

100.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.12 €2.68

-43.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.80 €3.27

-25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.81 €1.55

7.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.41 €14.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$5.08 €4.37

-32.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.59 €1.36

13.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.45 $29.45

$33.35 €28.69

-11.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.03 €1.74

-61.08%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$37.5K €32.2K

-23.61%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$38.0K €32.7K

-33.02%

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

$181 $181

$190 €164

-4.84%

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

$44.14 $44.14

$28.11 €24.18

57.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$35.06 €30.16

92.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.2 $85.2

$38.36 €33.00

122.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.35 €25.25

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$14.15 €12.17

-2.54%

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

$1,246 $1,246

$770 €662

61.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K $15.5K

$8,169 €7,027

89.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$103 €88.4

-47.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$44.46 €38.25

14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$108 €92.9

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$178 €153

-42.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$836 €719

157.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$752 €647

121.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,340 $4,340

$1,363 €1,172

218.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 $2,563

$1,115 €959

129.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,735 $6,735

$5,167 €4,444

30.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,052 $4,052

$4,116 €3,541

-1.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,722 $3,722

$2,784 €2,394

33.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

3.64

78.30%

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

Last update for Santa Fe, NM: June 1, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,154 in Santa Fe, NM and $836 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe, NM pays 34% 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: $81.0 in Santa Fe, NM vs $57.0 in Montpellier. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $408, with Santa Fe, NM 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 Fe, NM vs Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Santa Fe, NM pays 34% 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: $2,154 in Santa Fe, NM versus $836 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,246 in Santa Fe, NM versus $770 in Montpellier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Montpellier – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $81.0 in Santa Fe, NM. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,960 in Montpellier versus $2,872 in Santa Fe, NM, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Santa Fe, NM. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montpellier is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Fe, NM, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Fe, NM and Montpellier 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 Montpellier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Santa Fe, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.