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: $1,090 in Santa Fe versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Santa Fe versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,186 in Santa Fe versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Santa Fe costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Fe is 20% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ARS 14.8K

$11.83 MX$200

-16.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.09 ARS 55.5K

$52.2 MX$884

-28.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 ARS 18.4K

$10.87 MX$184

13.16%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ARS 2,629

$4.03 MX$68.2

-56.33%

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

$1.55 ARS 2,318

$1.71 MX$28.99

-9.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ARS 2,057

$1.34 MX$22.70

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 ARS 5,146

$3.39 MX$57.5

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 ARS 7,433

$5.74 MX$97.3

-13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ARS 1,505

$1.89 MX$31.99

-46.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ARS 2,333

$3.17 MX$53.8

-50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ARS 1,551

$2.05 MX$34.74

-49.27%

Eggs

$1.60 ARS 2,401

$3.01 MX$51.1

-46.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 ARS 12.6K

$12.61 MX$214

-33.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 ARS 9,077

$9.94 MX$169

-39.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 ARS 15.9K

$16.00 MX$271

-33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 2,980

$3.28 MX$55.6

-39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ARS 2,360

$2.06 MX$34.87

-23.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 ARS 1,201

$2.09 MX$35.36

-61.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ARS 3,759

$2.50 MX$42.44

0.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ARS 864

$2.05 MX$34.76

-71.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ARS 1,018

$1.87 MX$31.70

-63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ARS 1,599

$1.57 MX$26.66

-31.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ARS 1,556

$1.39 MX$23.64

-25.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ARS 4,771

$5.38 MX$91.2

-40.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 ARS 7,287

$17.95 MX$304

-72.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ARS 1,898

$2.02 MX$34.31

-37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ARS 3,162

$4.76 MX$80.7

-55.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ARS 1,552

$0.36 MX$6.13

188.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 ARS 1,453

$2.06 MX$34.92

-52.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ARS 1,518

$0.56 MX$9.55

80.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,638

$1.54 MX$26.05

-29.22%

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

$19.8K ARS 29.7M

$22.5K MX$380.6K

-11.71%

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

$29.7K ARS 44.5M

$26.5K MX$448.7K

12.17%

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

$59.0 ARS 88.4K

$66.0 MX$1,118

-10.54%

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

$19.63 ARS 29.4K

$30.98 MX$525

-36.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.17 ARS 31.7K

$36.20 MX$613

-41.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 ARS 51.6K

$57.5 MX$975

-40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ARS 7,064

$7.13 MX$121

-33.80%

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

$457 MX$7,738

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 ARS 130.2K

$75.8 MX$1,285

14.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 ARS 88.4K

$54.1 MX$917

9.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ARS 177.6K

$116 MX$1,974

1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 ARS 212.7K

$122 MX$2,063

16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 ARS 775.2K

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-54.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 ARS 529.8K

$726 MX$12.3K

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ARS 1.4M

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-62.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 ARS 893.6K

$1,331 MX$22.6K

-55.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,254 ARS 1.9M

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,019 ARS 1.5M

$2,149 MX$36.4K

-52.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 ARS 1.3M

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-20.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

11.35

781.06%

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

Last update for Santa Fe: August 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Santa Fe and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 26% 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: $37.00 in Santa Fe vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $344 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,090 vs $1,682 including rent). Santa Fe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $518 in Santa Fe versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,090 per month in Santa Fe versus $1,682 in Mexico City – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,090 in Santa Fe versus $1,682 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.