Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Queretaro Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago de Compostela and Queretaro

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,422 per month in Santiago de Compostela vs $1,294 in Queretaro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,169 per month in Santiago de Compostela vs $1,993 in Queretaro, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,916 per month in Santiago de Compostela vs $2,692 in Queretaro, rent included.

Santiago de Compostela costs about 10% more than Queretaro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Santiago de Compostela sits 6% above the global median, while Queretaro is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.96

$9.43 MX$165

45.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 €48.87

$45.49 MX$797

22.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 €8.71

$7.73 MX$136

28.85%

Cappuccino

$1.88 €1.64

$3.53 MX$61.8

-46.74%

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

$2.39 €2.09

$1.31 MX$23.01

82.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.96 MX$16.82

111.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 €2.72

$2.40 MX$42.01

29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.38

$4.28 MX$75.0

-9.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.61 MX$28.15

-27.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.05

$2.61 MX$45.66

-53.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.93 MX$33.83

-12.95%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.61

$2.32 MX$40.74

28.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 €8.16

$8.44 MX$148

10.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 €5.65

$9.42 MX$165

-31.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 €15.36

$13.11 MX$230

34.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.58 MX$62.7

-47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.46 MX$25.54

52.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.90 MX$33.36

-18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.71 MX$29.95

70.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.73 MX$30.30

20.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.84 MX$32.18

-19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.30 MX$22.82

-9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.14 MX$19.99

-38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 €5.31

$4.20 MX$73.6

44.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 €4.52

$17.06 MX$299

-69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.94 MX$34.01

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.19

$3.26 MX$57.2

-23.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.09

$0.55 MX$9.69

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.13 €29.82

$23.65 MX$415

44.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 €4.13

$3.26 MX$57.1

45.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.24 MX$21.65

-0.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.83 €19.94

$9.30 MX$163

145.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.26 MX$22.03

43.65%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$19.7K MX$345.7K

46.54%

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

$31.2K €27.3K

$20.5K MX$359.6K

52.17%

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

$163 €143

$62.5 MX$1,095

161.50%

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

$21.56 €18.84

$23.75 MX$416

-9.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.84 €28.69

$28.25 MX$495

16.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.87 €36.58

$50.1 MX$877

-16.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.25 €1.96

$26.33 MX$461

-91.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.71

$6.12 MX$107

62.91%

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

$342 €299

$314 MX$5,496

9.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,017 €7,004

$4,841 MX$84.8K

65.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 €66.7

$50.8 MX$891

50.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 €27.64

$41.93 MX$735

-24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €74.3

$98.4 MX$1,724

-13.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 €82.9

$98.4 MX$1,724

-3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 €658

$654 MX$11.5K

15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €460

$491 MX$8,598

7.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €883

$1,200 MX$21.0K

-15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €745

$810 MX$14.2K

5.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 €2,665

$2,327 MX$40.8K

31.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 €1,920

$1,318 MX$23.1K

66.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,941 €1,696

$914 MX$16.0K

112.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

11.55

-71.17%

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 Queretaro: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $753 in Santiago de Compostela versus $654 in Queretaro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 112% higher in Santiago de Compostela, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Santiago de Compostela versus $45.00 in Queretaro. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Santiago de Compostela vs $292 in Queretaro – so Santiago de Compostela wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago de Compostela costs about 10% more than Queretaro, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,132 per month in Santiago de Compostela and $1,941 in Queretaro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Queretaro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Queretaro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $342 per month in Santiago de Compostela and $314 in Queretaro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Queretaro, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Santiago de Compostela at $1,422. In Queretaro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago de Compostela it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Queretaro costs $1,294 versus $1,422 in Santiago de Compostela. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Queretaro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santiago de Compostela makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.