😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,541 in Santa Teresa versus $1,484 in Mexico City.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,320 in Santa Teresa versus $2,381 in Mexico City.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,099 in Santa Teresa versus $3,278 in Mexico City.
😐Living in Santa Teresa is roughly 4% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Teresa15% above, Mexico City11% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.20₡4,637
$12.98MX$227
-21.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.87₡19.5K
$53.1MX$929
-19.22%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.30₡4,229
$9.72MX$170
-4.32%
Cappuccino
$3.87₡1,762
$3.75MX$65.6
3.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05₡932
$1.57MX$27.46
30.57%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64₡746
$1.13MX$19.76
45.13%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.97₡1,349
$3.18MX$55.7
-6.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.63₡2,104
$4.66MX$81.6
-0.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.06₡936
$1.62MX$28.37
27.16%
White Bread(500g)
$2.86₡1,299
$2.71MX$47.36
5.54%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17₡986
$1.88MX$32.89
15.43%
Eggs
$3.00₡1,366
$2.51MX$43.90
19.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.85₡4,480
$10.08MX$176
-2.28%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.20₡4,185
$8.29MX$145
10.98%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.43₡6,105
$11.94MX$209
12.48%
Apples(1kg)
$4.58₡2,083
$2.86MX$50.1
60.14%
Banana(1kg)
$1.52₡692
$1.75MX$30.62
-13.14%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.07₡1,851
$2.08MX$36.48
95.67%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.17₡1,442
$1.97MX$34.46
60.91%
Potato(1kg)
$3.26₡1,480
$2.16MX$37.79
50.93%
Onion(1kg)
$2.55₡1,159
$2.18MX$38.16
16.97%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.04₡471
$1.39MX$24.34
-25.18%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.81₡1,276
$1.12MX$19.69
150.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08₡2,310
$4.20MX$73.5
20.95%
Wine(Bottle)
$14.18₡6,450
$14.25MX$249
-0.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33₡1,059
$1.76MX$30.85
32.39%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53₡1,149
$3.68MX$64.5
-31.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.03₡468
$0.39MX$6.74
164.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$18.66MX$327
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.80₡817
$1.39MX$24.26
29.50%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.78₡809
$0.30MX$5.32
493.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.05₡3,659
$5.42MX$94.9
48.52%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.44₡656
$1.35MX$23.63
6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K₡17.2M
$18.9KMX$330.5K
100.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K₡14.8M
$23.2KMX$405.2K
40.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$82.4₡37.5K
$40.82MX$714
101.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.54₡11.6K
$27.50MX$481
-7.13%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.55₡22.5K
$30.38MX$532
63.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.39₡22.5K
$53.4MX$935
-7.56%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.62₡10.7K
$26.30MX$460
-10.19%
Cinema Ticket
$9.08₡4,131
$6.27MX$110
44.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$563₡256.2K
$436MX$7,632
29.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.8K₡5.8M
$10.5KMX$183.2K
21.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.2₡28.3K
$56.8MX$993
9.65%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.0₡23.2K
$44.79MX$784
13.84%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$125₡56.8K
$103MX$1,799
21.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108₡49.1K
$108MX$1,888
-0.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$684₡311.2K
$1,000MX$17.5K
-31.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$599₡272.3K
$620MX$10.9K
-3.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,437₡653.3K
$2,137MX$37.4K
-32.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$977₡444.1K
$1,235MX$21.6K
-20.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,865MX$67.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,332MX$40.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santa Teresa
Mexico City
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$1,067MX$18.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.17
11.34
-10.32%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Santa Teresa: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Mexico City: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $684 in Santa Teresa and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $43.00 in Santa Teresa vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $286, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Santa Teresa vs Mexico City: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
What is the total cost difference between living in Santa Teresa and Mexico City?
Santa Teresa and Mexico City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,541 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Santa Teresa compared to Mexico City?
You'd need roughly $2,311 in Santa Teresa and $2,225 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Santa Teresa and Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $684 in Santa Teresa versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Santa Teresa and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $563 in Santa Teresa versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $43.00 in Santa Teresa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,541 in Santa Teresa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Santa Teresa. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Santa Teresa and Mexico City?
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.
Is Santa Teresa or Mexico City safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Santa Teresa 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.
Where should expats move: Santa Teresa or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Santa Teresa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Santa Teresa vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado