Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and San Jose

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $949 a month against $1,949 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index

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Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$949

/mo nomad

San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexicali and in San Jose

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexicali and in San Jose actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $949 per month in Mexicali vs $1,949 in San Jose, rent included.

Mexicali $949
San Jose $1,949

A couple spends around $1,525 per month in Mexicali vs $2,903 in San Jose, rent included.

Mexicali $1,525
San Jose $2,903

A family of three spends $2,101 per month in Mexicali vs $3,857 in San Jose, rent included.

Mexicali $2,101
San Jose $3,857

Mexicali is about 51% cheaper than San Jose, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexicali sits 29% below the global median, while San Jose is 45% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 MX$222

$12.22 ₡5,510

-0.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 MX$629

$60.1 ₡27.1K

-43.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 MX$123

$11.77 ₡5,305

-43.16%

Cappuccino

$3.43 MX$62.9

$4.30 ₡1,939

-20.23%

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

$1.34 MX$24.60

$2.72 ₡1,226

-50.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.65

$1.84 ₡830

-39.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$59.2

$3.28 ₡1,480

-1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 MX$78.2

$4.36 ₡1,966

-2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MX$22.10

$2.38 ₡1,074

-49.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 MX$43.96

$3.12 ₡1,408

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.33

$2.41 ₡1,086

-36.10%

Eggs

$2.76 MX$50.7

$3.47 ₡1,564

-20.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.42 MX$44.48

$10.57 ₡4,767

-77.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 MX$110

$10.56 ₡4,758

-43.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.66 MX$122

$13.75 ₡6,196

-51.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.85

$5.04 ₡2,274

-67.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.74

$1.61 ₡727

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.78

$4.59 ₡2,069

-69.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.98

$3.84 ₡1,731

-57.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$25.91

$3.77 ₡1,700

-62.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.03

$3.76 ₡1,693

-62.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$1.12 ₡506

20.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MX$15.66

$3.20 ₡1,441

-73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$73.7

$5.84 ₡2,632

-31.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 MX$148

$19.73 ₡8,897

-59.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$35.61

$2.75 ₡1,240

-29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MX$71.6

$3.66 ₡1,650

6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MX$19.20

$1.12 ₡503

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 MX$645

$65.1 ₡29.4K

-46.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 MX$52.1

$2.46 ₡1,110

15.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MX$41.57

$1.54 ₡692

46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.06 MX$350

$8.46 ₡3,815

125.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$24.60

$1.55 ₡699

-13.55%

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

$21.7K MX$399.3K

$21.7K ₡9.8M

0.22%

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

$24.4K MX$447.3K

$34.9K ₡15.7M

-30.15%

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

$47.14 MX$866

$94.7 ₡42.7K

-50.21%

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

$22.65 MX$416

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-35.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.19 MX$554

$58.6 ₡26.4K

-48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 MX$720

$72.2 ₡32.5K

-45.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 MX$305

$25.19 ₡11.4K

-33.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MX$75.0

$7.83 ₡3,532

-47.89%

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

$210 MX$3,860

$971 ₡437.9K

-78.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,724 MX$86.7K

$17.0K ₡7.7M

-72.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.95 MX$642

$71.6 ₡32.3K

-51.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.98 MX$605

$54.9 ₡24.7K

-39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 MX$1,420

$129 ₡58.2K

-40.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.03 MX$698

$133 ₡60.0K

-71.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 MX$18.3K

$934 ₡420.9K

6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 MX$5,059

$770 ₡347.2K

-64.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 MX$24.9K

$1,945 ₡876.7K

-30.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 MX$10.2K

$1,316 ₡593.5K

-57.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,638 MX$48.4K

$2,277 ₡1.0M

15.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,474 MX$27.1K

$1,795 ₡809.1K

-17.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$860 MX$15.8K

$1,006 ₡453.5K

-14.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

8.62

40.02%

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

Last update for Mexicali: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Jose: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexicali

$276 29.1%

San Jose

$770 39.9% 180% $495

Groceries & Markets

Mexicali

$197 20.8%

San Jose

$399 20.7% 102% $202

Eating Out

Mexicali

$192 20.3%

San Jose

$228 11.8% 18.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexicali

$100 10.5%

San Jose

$188 9.8% 88.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Mexicali

$83 8.7%

San Jose

$175 9.1% 112% $92

Getting Around

Mexicali

$53 5.6%

San Jose

$80 4.1% 49% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mexicali

$47 5%

San Jose

$88 4.6% 85.4% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $998 in Mexicali versus $934 in San Jose. 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 17% higher in San Jose, 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 $34.00 in Mexicali versus $60.0 in San Jose. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $399 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🇨🇷 San Jose

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

1 h ahead of Mexicali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

854,186

342,188 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexicali San Jose 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexicali
San Jose

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mexicali vs San Jose: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $949 in Mexicali, $1,949 in San Jose – roughly 105% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,423 per month in Mexicali and $2,924 in San Jose. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 102% more in San Jose, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Mexicali and $60.0 in San Jose. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $949, than in San Jose at $1,949. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Jose has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $949 in Mexicali to $1,949 in San Jose. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mexicali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.