Mexico leads Latin America in net salaries amid high inequality

Mexico City leads Latin America in average monthly net salaries, reaching $1,059 according to a Deutsche Bank report. Other high-ranking cities in the region include São Paulo ($853), Buenos Aires ($842), and Santiago ($798). While Bogotá has seen the highest cumulative wage growth in the region over the last decade at 74%, other cities like Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro have seen dollar-denominated wages decline.

In Mexico, extreme wealth inequality persists. A report by Oxfam Mexico and the Institute for Studies on Inequality (Indesig) reveals that the top 1% of the population earns an average of 958,777 pesos per month. In stark contrast, the poorest 10% survive on just 2,168 pesos per month—a gap of 442 times. While both the wealthiest and poorest deciles saw income growth of 29%, the absolute difference remains vast, with the wealthiest group gaining 7,123 pesos daily compared to just 16 pesos daily for the poorest.