Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Perez Zeledon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Perez Zeledon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,165 in Perez Zeledon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,898 in Perez Zeledon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,631 in Perez Zeledon.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than Perez Zeledon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Perez Zeledon is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.77 ₡3,060

91.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$39.63 ₡17.9K

32.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$10.11 ₡4,569

-6.73%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.81 ₡1,720

-6.30%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.51 ₡684

6.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$1.61 ₡725

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.95 ₡1,334

6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.63 ₡2,093

4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.96 ₡888

-13.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.90 ₡1,310

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$2.21 ₡999

-14.03%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.54 ₡1,147

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.21 ₡3,708

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$9.17 ₡4,144

-9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$13.83 ₡6,249

-16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$4.45 ₡2,010

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$0.98 ₡442

74.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$4.25 ₡1,920

-51.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$3.56 ₡1,609

-42.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.85 ₡1,289

-27.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.74 ₡1,239

-20.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.41 ₡186

241.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$2.81 ₡1,268

-60.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.12 ₡2,315

-16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$21.29 ₡9,617

-27.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.19 ₡992

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.58 ₡715

133.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.74 ₡336

-48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.80 ₡813

-23.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.84 ₡832

-84.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$7.71 ₡3,482

-29.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.40 ₡632

-8.57%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$37.7K ₡17.0M

-49.62%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$32.3K ₡14.6M

-27.30%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$93.8 ₡42.4K

-56.27%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$21.74 ₡9,821

23.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$59.9 ₡27.0K

-50.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$30.06 ₡13.6K

74.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$24.04 ₡10.9K

9.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$9.66 ₡4,363

-36.02%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$509 ₡230.2K

-16.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$12.4K ₡5.6M

-13.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$63.3 ₡28.6K

-10.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$51.8 ₡23.4K

-13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$125 ₡56.5K

-16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$107 ₡48.3K

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$334 ₡150.8K

198.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$269 ₡121.5K

131.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$1,515 ₡684.6K

40.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$633 ₡286.2K

97.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

26.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $334 in Perez Zeledon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Perez Zeledon. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $349, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mexico City vs Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Perez Zeledon differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,165 including rent). Perez Zeledon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,748 in Perez Zeledon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $334 in Perez Zeledon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $509 in Perez Zeledon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Perez Zeledon – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,165 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Perez Zeledon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Perez Zeledon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Perez Zeledon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.