Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,169 in Santiago de Compostela versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,916 in Santiago de Compostela versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Santiago de Compostela costs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santiago de Compostela 6% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.96

$13.07 MX$229

4.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 €48.87

$53.8 MX$940

4.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 €8.71

$9.68 MX$169

2.89%

Cappuccino

$1.88 €1.64

$3.74 MX$65.4

-49.73%

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

$2.39 €2.09

$1.62 MX$28.25

47.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.16 MX$20.31

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 €2.72

$3.23 MX$56.4

-3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.38

$4.74 MX$82.9

-18.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.65 MX$28.80

-29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.05

$2.75 MX$48.15

-56.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.87 MX$32.77

-10.16%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.61

$2.50 MX$43.72

19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 €8.16

$10.20 MX$178

-8.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 €5.65

$8.25 MX$144

-21.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 €15.36

$11.82 MX$207

48.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.01 MX$52.6

-37.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.81 MX$31.67

23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.00 MX$34.96

-23.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.54

$2.00 MX$34.89

45.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.08 MX$36.45

0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.27 MX$39.72

-34.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.46 MX$25.47

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.08 MX$18.82

-35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.31

$4.35 MX$76.0

39.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 €4.52

$16.99 MX$297

-69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.73 MX$30.31

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.19

$3.58 MX$62.5

-30.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.09

$0.39 MX$6.77

220.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 €29.82

$18.69 MX$327

82.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.13

$1.33 MX$23.18

255.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.07

$0.28 MX$4.89

339.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 €19.94

$5.25 MX$91.8

334.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.34 MX$23.37

35.07%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

48.89%

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

$31.2K €27.3K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

31.02%

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

$163 €143

$40.69 MX$712

301.60%

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

$21.56 €18.84

$26.87 MX$470

-19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.84 €28.69

$30.51 MX$534

7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 €36.58

$52.8 MX$923

-20.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.25 €1.96

$26.65 MX$466

-91.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.71

$6.51 MX$114

53.15%

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

$342 €299

$428 MX$7,485

-20.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 €7,004

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-23.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 €66.7

$57.3 MX$1,001

33.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 €27.64

$45.50 MX$796

-30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €74.3

$104 MX$1,819

-18.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 €82.9

$108 MX$1,885

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 €658

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €460

$623 MX$10.9K

-15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €883

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €745

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 €2,665

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-21.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 €1,920

$2,033 MX$35.5K

8.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,941 €1,696

$1,038 MX$18.1K

87.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

11.34

-70.63%

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

Last update for Santiago de Compostela: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Santiago de Compostela and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago de Compostela pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $292, with Santiago de Compostela 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

Santiago de Compostela vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de Compostela and Mexico City differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,422 vs $1,456 including rent). Santiago de Compostela is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Santiago de Compostela, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $753 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago de Compostela runs roughly 83% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $342 in Santiago de Compostela versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santiago de Compostela but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago de Compostela 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, Santiago de Compostela 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 Santiago de Compostela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.