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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Santa Teresa versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,308 in Santa Teresa versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,091 in Santa Teresa versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Santa Teresa is roughly 5% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Teresa 14% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.07 ₡4,550

$12.98 MX$223

-22.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.61 ₡19.7K

$52.6 MX$903

-17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 ₡4,343

$9.43 MX$162

1.91%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ₡1,743

$3.57 MX$61.3

8.12%

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

$2.04 ₡923

$1.61 MX$27.55

26.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₡745

$1.15 MX$19.81

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 ₡1,367

$3.15 MX$54.0

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 ₡2,142

$4.86 MX$83.4

-2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡915

$1.70 MX$29.17

18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 ₡1,283

$2.64 MX$45.23

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₡1,007

$1.90 MX$32.67

17.37%

Eggs

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.54 MX$43.62

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 ₡4,533

$10.08 MX$173

-0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 ₡4,049

$8.29 MX$142

8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 ₡6,135

$11.57 MX$199

17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 ₡2,070

$3.03 MX$52.0

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₡649

$1.71 MX$29.35

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 ₡1,875

$2.05 MX$35.16

102.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,391

$2.06 MX$35.36

49.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,457

$2.06 MX$35.43

56.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 ₡1,153

$2.17 MX$37.25

17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡466

$1.40 MX$24.08

-26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₡1,340

$1.12 MX$19.26

165.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 ₡2,227

$4.29 MX$73.7

14.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 ₡6,322

$15.41 MX$265

-9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₡1,076

$1.67 MX$28.74

42.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 ₡1,159

$3.69 MX$63.3

-30.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ₡425

$0.38 MX$6.55

147.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡850

$1.38 MX$23.70

36.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 ₡814

$0.28 MX$4.74

542.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 ₡3,629

$5.42 MX$92.9

48.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡636

$1.28 MX$21.98

10.16%

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

$38.2K ₡17.2M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

101.15%

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

$31.9K ₡14.4M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

36.12%

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

$82.5 ₡37.3K

$41.02 MX$704

101.02%

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

$25.76 ₡11.6K

$26.92 MX$462

-4.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 ₡23.1K

$29.69 MX$510

71.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.88 ₡22.5K

$52.3 MX$898

-4.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.71 ₡10.7K

$26.23 MX$450

-9.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.92 ₡4,032

$6.18 MX$106

44.34%

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

$565 ₡255.2K

$427 MX$7,331

32.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K ₡5.8M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

19.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 ₡28.4K

$56.8 MX$975

10.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 ₡23.2K

$44.83 MX$769

14.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ₡56.1K

$105 MX$1,794

18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.3K

$106 MX$1,819

2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡317.9K

$995 MX$17.1K

-29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 ₡274.7K

$621 MX$10.7K

-2.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 ₡637.8K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.8K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-23.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.34

-10.32%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Santa Teresa and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Santa Teresa vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $288, with Mexico City 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 Teresa vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Teresa and Mexico City differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,526 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,290 in Santa Teresa and $2,171 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $704 in Santa Teresa versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $565 in Santa Teresa 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $44.00 in Santa Teresa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,526 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.

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 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Santa Teresa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.