Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $792 in Santa Fe versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,230 in Santa Fe versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Santa Fe versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Fe is 41% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.10 ARS 10.1K

$12.98 MX$223

-45.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.29 ARS 23.3K

$52.6 MX$903

-69.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 ARS 11.0K

$9.43 MX$162

-18.35%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ARS 2,355

$3.57 MX$61.3

-53.78%

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

$1.34 ARS 1,910

$1.61 MX$27.55

-16.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ARS 1,619

$1.15 MX$19.81

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ARS 1,721

$3.15 MX$54.0

-61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ARS 3,541

$4.86 MX$83.4

-48.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,461

$1.70 MX$29.17

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ARS 1,407

$2.64 MX$45.23

-62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ARS 2,644

$1.90 MX$32.67

-2.63%

Eggs

$1.51 ARS 2,164

$2.54 MX$43.62

-40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 ARS 12.9K

$10.08 MX$173

-10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 ARS 8,594

$8.29 MX$142

-27.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 ARS 11.7K

$11.57 MX$199

-29.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,713

$3.03 MX$52.0

-37.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ARS 3,133

$1.71 MX$29.35

28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 ARS 1,305

$2.05 MX$35.16

-55.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 ARS 3,891

$2.06 MX$35.36

32.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ARS 743

$2.06 MX$35.43

-74.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,066

$2.17 MX$37.25

-33.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ARS 1,329

$1.40 MX$24.08

-33.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,551

$1.12 MX$19.26

59.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ARS 4,945

$4.29 MX$73.7

-19.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,588

$15.41 MX$265

-70.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ARS 1,865

$1.67 MX$28.74

-21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ARS 4,517

$3.69 MX$63.3

-14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ARS 1,389

$0.38 MX$6.55

155.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ARS 1,459

$1.38 MX$23.70

-26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,299

$0.28 MX$4.74

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ARS 8,416

$5.42 MX$92.9

8.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,525

$1.28 MX$21.98

-16.41%

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

$29.9K ARS 42.7M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

57.33%

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

$29.0K ARS 41.4M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

23.62%

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

$54.8 ARS 78.3K

$41.02 MX$704

33.62%

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

$7.82 ARS 11.2K

$26.92 MX$462

-70.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.89 ARS 21.3K

$29.69 MX$510

-49.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 ARS 56.2K

$52.3 MX$898

-24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 ARS 19.6K

$26.23 MX$450

-47.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 ARS 6,931

$6.18 MX$106

-21.52%

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

$224 ARS 319.4K

$427 MX$7,331

-47.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,076 ARS 1.5M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-89.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 ARS 86.8K

$56.8 MX$975

6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ARS 87.1K

$44.83 MX$769

36.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ARS 153.6K

$105 MX$1,794

2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 ARS 134.9K

$106 MX$1,819

-10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 ARS 441.6K

$995 MX$17.1K

-68.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ARS 287.3K

$621 MX$10.7K

-67.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ARS 856.6K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-71.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ARS 460.2K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-74.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ARS 1.8M

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-67.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,021 ARS 1.5M

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-51.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$827 ARS 1.2M

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-25.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

11.34

781.83%

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

Last update for Santa Fe: June 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $309 in Santa Fe and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City 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: $16.00 in Santa Fe vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $288 per month, with Santa Fe 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

Santa Fe vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Fe and Mexico City differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($792 vs $1,447 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 34% less. 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: $309 in Santa Fe versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Santa Fe versus $427 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 Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Santa Fe versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Fe but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Fe 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 Fe 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 Santa Fe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.