Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto de la Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto de la Cruz outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Puerto de la Cruz
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Puerto de la Cruz Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Puerto de la Cruz

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Puerto de la Cruz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Puerto de la Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz.

Mexico City $1,567
Puerto de la Cruz $1,912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $2,769 in Puerto de la Cruz.

Mexico City $2,450
Puerto de la Cruz $2,769

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $3,625 in Puerto de la Cruz.

Mexico City $3,333
Puerto de la Cruz $3,625

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 18% less than in Puerto de la Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Puerto de la Cruz 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$13.53 €12.04

-20.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$61.4 €54.6

-18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$10.06 €8.95

10.34%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.58 €2.29

42.64%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$1.90 €1.69

-13.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$1.53 €1.36

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$2.86 €2.54

16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.59 €3.20

54.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.10 €0.98

60.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.62 €1.44

88.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.65 €1.47

21.82%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$3.70 €3.29

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$12.22 €10.87

-2.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$10.00 €8.89

-6.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$13.61 €12.10

10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$2.55 €2.27

20.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$2.06 €1.83

-5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$1.48 €1.32

37.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$2.58 €2.29

-14.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$2.35 €2.09

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$2.31 €2.05

-21.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.02 €1.79

-24.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.81 €0.72

58.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$4.17 €3.71

26.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$6.52 €5.80

147.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.37 €1.22

42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.68 €2.38

58.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$41.93 €37.29

-52.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$3.31 €2.94

-39.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$2.28 €2.02

-76.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$28.23 €25.11

-80.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.65 €1.47

-7.88%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$35.1K €31.2K

-40.05%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$28.4K €25.3K

-11.44%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$111 €98.4

-43.51%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$19.16 €17.04

50.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$28.08 €24.97

22.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$16.72 €14.87

48.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$9.15 €8.14

-27.10%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$481 €428

-10.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$6,713 €5,971

74.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$88.7 €78.9

-20.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$37.90 €33.71

36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$88.9 €79.1

22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$120 €107

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$1,133 €1,008

-7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$1,049 €933

-36.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$1,891 €1,682

24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$1,577 €1,403

-22.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$3,614 €3,215

-1.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$3,478 €3,093

-43.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$1,345 €1,196

-27.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

3.15

258.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Puerto de la Cruz

$1K 54.9% 57.7% $384

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Puerto de la Cruz

$275 14.4% 14.8% $48

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Puerto de la Cruz

$205 10.7% 0.8% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Puerto de la Cruz

$151 7.9% 2.4% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Puerto de la Cruz

$158 8.3% 25.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Puerto de la Cruz

$18 * 1% 74% $52

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Puerto de la Cruz

$57 * 3% 120% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $1,133 in Puerto de la Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto de la Cruz pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $61.0 in Puerto de la Cruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $323 vs $275, with Puerto de la Cruz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇪🇸 Puerto de la Cruz

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

10:29 10:29 AM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

30,849

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Puerto de la Cruz 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Puerto de la Cruz

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

Mexico City vs Puerto de la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto de la Cruz differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $1,912 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Puerto de la Cruz. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $1,133 in Puerto de la Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 111% less than in Puerto de la Cruz. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $481 in Puerto de la Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $1,912 in Puerto de la Cruz, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto de la Cruz. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Puerto de la Cruz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Puerto de la Cruz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.