In certain cities in Mexico the price of gasoline is lower than, for example, Los Angeles, California. This is possible thanks to the impact of the subsidies granted by the federal government to fuel consumption.
But this does not prevent a Mexican from having to work more days than an American to fill the tank of his car.
How much does it cost to fill a gas tank, on working days in Mexico?
The energy specialist Ramses Pech made an estimate to answer this question. For this he took a minimum wage per day of 346 pesos, with an 8-hour day.
Under these assumptions, a Mexican worker would need to allocate three full days of salary to buy 50 liters of regular gasoline, whose average price in the country is 21.32 pesos per liter. The total cost of this expense would be 1,066 pesos.
In Mexico, the current minimum wage is 172.87 pesos, so if someone who earns the minimum wage had to fill a 50-liter tank with gasoline, they would have to allocate 6.16 full-time days to do so.
How many days of work does an American need to fill the tank?
In Texas, the general minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which means someone can earn $58 for an 8-hour day. This amount, at an exchange rate of 21 pesos per dollar, results in a salary of 1,218 pesos.
