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 $1,447 per month in Santiago de Compostela vs $1,276 in Queretaro, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,174 per month in Santiago de Compostela vs $2,010 in Queretaro, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Santiago de Compostela vs $2,744 in Queretaro, rent included.

Santiago de Compostela costs about 13% more than Queretaro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Santiago de Compostela sits 8% above the global median, while Queretaro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 €11.93

$9.85 MX$170

40.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 €47.11

$46.14 MX$798

18.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 €8.30

$8.05 MX$139

19.88%

Cappuccino

$1.94 €1.67

$3.60 MX$62.3

-46.11%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$1.31 MX$22.59

80.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.95 MX$16.51

112.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.33 MX$40.25

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.14

$4.30 MX$74.4

-15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.54 MX$26.72

-25.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.68 MX$46.28

-54.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.95 MX$33.74

-17.44%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.55

$2.37 MX$41.00

25.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 €7.99

$8.07 MX$140

15.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 €5.42

$9.79 MX$169

-35.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 €14.64

$12.86 MX$222

32.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$3.60 MX$62.2

-49.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.46 MX$25.31

52.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.90 MX$32.87

-19.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.44

$1.78 MX$30.87

59.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.78 MX$30.84

19.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.88 MX$32.51

-19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.25 MX$21.60

-5.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$1.14 MX$19.76

-39.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 €5.30

$4.24 MX$73.4

45.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.39 €4.64

$17.05 MX$295

-68.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.99 MX$34.45

-25.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$3.31 MX$57.2

-27.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.60 MX$10.32

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 €30.00

$23.90 MX$413

45.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.94

$3.13 MX$54.2

46.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.24 MX$21.36

1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.95 €19.74

$9.39 MX$162

144.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.31 MX$22.66

38.93%

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

$28.4K €24.4K

$20.0K MX$345.2K

42.33%

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

$31.2K €26.9K

$20.6K MX$356.5K

51.60%

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

$162 €140

$63.4 MX$1,097

156.07%

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

$21.15 €18.19

$24.19 MX$418

-12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.39 €28.72

$28.06 MX$485

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.32 €35.54

$49.09 MX$849

-15.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.32 €2.00

$26.23 MX$454

-91.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.60

$6.07 MX$105

64.74%

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

$349 €300

$319 MX$5,526

9.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,176 €7,033

$4,824 MX$83.4K

69.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.4 €66.5

$51.4 MX$889

50.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 €27.63

$42.09 MX$728

-23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 €74.2

$99.6 MX$1,722

-13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 €84.1

$95.8 MX$1,658

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 €628

$633 MX$10.9K

15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 €453

$497 MX$8,599

5.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €889

$1,190 MX$20.6K

-13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €758

$792 MX$13.7K

11.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,181 €2,737

$2,333 MX$40.4K

36.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 €1,913

$1,347 MX$23.3K

65.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 €1,698

$924 MX$16.0K

113.69%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Santiago de Compostela versus $633 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 114% 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 $55.0 in Santiago de Compostela versus $46.00 in Queretaro. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Santiago de Compostela vs $293 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 13% 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 $2,171 per month in Santiago de Compostela and $1,913 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 46% less in Queretaro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $349 per month in Santiago de Compostela and $319 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 $1,276, than in Santiago de Compostela at $1,447. 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 $1,276 versus $1,447 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.