Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Andres Tuxtla Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Andres Tuxtla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,189 in San Andres Tuxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,940 in San Andres Tuxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,690 in San Andres Tuxtla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 40% more expensive than in San Andres Tuxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, San Andres Tuxtla is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$11.32 MX$194

5.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$42.46 MX$729

21.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$9.64 MX$166

18.36%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$3.50 MX$60.0

14.00%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.62 MX$27.82

2.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$1.12 MX$19.28

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.97 MX$50.9

16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$4.68 MX$80.3

26.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.86 MX$31.87

1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$2.81 MX$48.15

15.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.70 MX$29.15

27.06%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.51 MX$43.13

15.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.77 MX$150

46.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.18 MX$175

-1.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$13.01 MX$223

21.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.35 MX$57.6

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.66 MX$28.44

21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.97 MX$33.86

11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.15 MX$36.85

9.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.79 MX$30.80

14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.70 MX$29.12

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.45 MX$24.89

11.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.03 MX$17.60

35.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$5.16 MX$88.7

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$9.93 MX$170

77.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$2.14 MX$36.80

-3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$3.13 MX$53.7

49.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.78 MX$13.32

-56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$3.12 MX$53.5

-32.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$1.87 MX$32.05

-70.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$10.34 MX$177

-43.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.32 MX$22.64

21.97%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$25.6K MX$439.4K

-10.78%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$28.4K MX$487.5K

-5.81%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$56.2 MX$965

15.90%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$21.36 MX$367

40.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$34.61 MX$594

7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$31.59 MX$542

89.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$21.74 MX$373

22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.87 MX$83.6

44.56%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$251 MX$4,316

84.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$5,125 MX$88.0K

158.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$53.2 MX$913

42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$40.90 MX$702

36.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$107 MX$1,843

4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$94.3 MX$1,618

27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$742 MX$12.7K

48.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$410 MX$7,033

75.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,166 MX$20.0K

116.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$847 MX$14.5K

52.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,120 MX$36.4K

88.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,216 MX$20.9K

71.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for San Andres Tuxtla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $742 in San Andres Tuxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in San Andres Tuxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $289 per month, with San Andres Tuxtla cheaper across the board.

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 San Andres Tuxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Andres Tuxtla differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,189 including rent). San Andres Tuxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,784 in San Andres Tuxtla 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $742 in San Andres Tuxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $251 in San Andres Tuxtla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Andres Tuxtla – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,189 in San Andres Tuxtla versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Andres Tuxtla but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Andres Tuxtla 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 San Andres Tuxtla 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 San Andres Tuxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.