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: $1,518 in Santa Teresa versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Santa Teresa versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,050 in Santa Teresa versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Santa Teresa costs roughly 9% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Teresa 11% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.03 ₡4,456

$11.92 MX$205

-15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.84 ₡19.0K

$51.6 MX$889

-16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 ₡4,208

$11.41 MX$197

-17.00%

Cappuccino

$3.89 ₡1,729

$3.99 MX$68.8

-2.51%

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

$2.07 ₡922

$1.66 MX$28.58

24.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₡735

$1.33 MX$22.85

24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,340

$3.47 MX$59.8

-13.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 ₡2,096

$5.90 MX$102

-20.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ₡916

$1.88 MX$32.32

9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 ₡1,251

$3.25 MX$56.1

-13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ₡979

$2.16 MX$37.23

1.85%

Eggs

$2.90 ₡1,288

$2.90 MX$49.89

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 ₡4,412

$12.86 MX$221

-22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 ₡4,008

$10.05 MX$173

-10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 ₡6,093

$15.86 MX$273

-13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 ₡1,963

$3.29 MX$56.8

34.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₡650

$2.01 MX$34.56

-27.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 ₡1,904

$2.20 MX$37.89

94.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,430

$2.36 MX$40.58

36.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 ₡1,482

$2.05 MX$35.39

62.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ₡1,174

$1.90 MX$32.76

38.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₡445

$1.61 MX$27.65

-37.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 ₡1,307

$1.40 MX$24.06

110.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 ₡2,165

$5.46 MX$94.1

-10.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 ₡6,243

$17.65 MX$304

-20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₡1,069

$2.06 MX$35.40

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 ₡1,128

$4.68 MX$80.7

-45.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ₡453

$0.34 MX$5.83

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₡822

$2.10 MX$36.12

-11.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ₡792

$0.56 MX$9.63

217.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,456

$5.81 MX$100

33.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡629

$1.61 MX$27.66

-12.42%

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

$37.2K ₡16.5M

$22.8K MX$393.4K

62.84%

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

$32.0K ₡14.2M

$26.8K MX$460.8K

19.48%

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

$82.0 ₡36.5K

$65.2 MX$1,123

25.85%

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

$26.18 ₡11.6K

$30.09 MX$518

-12.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.27 ₡21.9K

$37.18 MX$640

32.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.15 ₡21.8K

$59.8 MX$1,029

-17.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.85 ₡10.6K

$26.55 MX$457

-10.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 ₡3,926

$7.04 MX$121

25.43%

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

$574 ₡255.1K

$465 MX$8,003

23.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ₡5.5M

$13.3K MX$228.6K

-6.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ₡27.5K

$75.9 MX$1,307

-18.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 ₡22.5K

$56.0 MX$964

-9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡56.7K

$112 MX$1,927

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ₡47.1K

$121 MX$2,076

-12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 ₡312.5K

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 ₡268.1K

$721 MX$12.4K

-16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 ₡632.4K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 ₡429.7K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-25.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.3

-10.00%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $703 in Santa Teresa and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Santa Teresa vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $345, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,518 vs $1,660 including rent). Santa Teresa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,277 in Santa Teresa and $2,489 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: $703 in Santa Teresa versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $574 in Santa Teresa versus $465 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 Teresa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,518 in Santa Teresa versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Teresa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Teresa 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 Santa Teresa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.