Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Felipe Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Felipe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,079 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,727 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,374 in San Felipe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Felipe is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$7.12 MX$123

86.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$39.54 MX$685

36.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.71 MX$134

22.18%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.24 MX$56.1

10.80%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.24 MX$21.48

30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.97 MX$16.84

15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.43 MX$42.18

33.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.82 MX$66.2

21.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.49 MX$25.82

10.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.61 MX$45.24

1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.62 MX$28.09

20.99%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.42 MX$41.86

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.12 MX$141

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.96 MX$138

5.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.71 MX$186

10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.59 MX$44.92

10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.45 MX$25.17

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.73 MX$29.92

15.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.63 MX$28.28

25.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.90 MX$32.99

8.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$2.00 MX$34.73

14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.26 MX$21.79

15.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.01 MX$17.51

7.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.27 MX$74.0

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$12.60 MX$218

16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.62 MX$28.06

8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.76 MX$47.90

29.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.65 MX$11.35

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.55 MX$44.14

-45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.56 MX$27.00

-80.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$8.50 MX$147

-36.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.26 MX$21.79

6.35%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.2K MX$366.9K

-10.96%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$22.6K MX$390.9K

2.86%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$56.4 MX$977

-28.52%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$22.12 MX$383

22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$27.87 MX$483

5.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$35.27 MX$611

49.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$16.09 MX$279

62.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.55 MX$78.9

35.82%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$208 MX$3,598

112.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,597 MX$62.3K

197.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$52.3 MX$905

9.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$40.16 MX$696

12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$91.4 MX$1,584

13.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$79.6 MX$1,380

36.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$514 MX$8,916

94.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$392 MX$6,800

61.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$915 MX$15.9K

133.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$750 MX$13.0K

67.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,145 MX$37.2K

74.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,190 MX$20.6K

100.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.48

-1.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $514 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $40 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $256 per month, with San Felipe 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 Felipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Felipe differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,079 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,619 in San Felipe 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $514 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $208 in San Felipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Felipe – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,079 in San Felipe versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Felipe but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Felipe 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 Felipe 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 Felipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.