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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,063 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,694 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,325 in San Felipe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than in San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Felipe is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$7.14 MX$124

84.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$38.98 MX$678

37.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$7.74 MX$135

23.39%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$3.38 MX$58.8

10.06%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.23 MX$21.42

27.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.99 MX$17.17

17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.34 MX$40.66

35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.85 MX$67.1

20.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.42 MX$24.71

20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$2.54 MX$44.16

3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.57 MX$27.34

20.38%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$2.30 MX$40.00

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$7.81 MX$136

26.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$7.80 MX$136

5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$10.60 MX$184

11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$2.59 MX$45.04

15.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.43 MX$24.96

25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$1.77 MX$30.87

16.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.67 MX$29.03

17.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.89 MX$32.89

9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$2.02 MX$35.14

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$1.19 MX$20.77

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.02 MX$17.72

4.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$4.07 MX$70.8

1.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$9.33 MX$162

86.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.61 MX$27.96

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.78 MX$48.32

31.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.64 MX$11.19

-40.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$2.60 MX$45.26

-48.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.58 MX$27.51

-81.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$8.05 MX$140

-31.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.27 MX$22.12

3.15%

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$21.0K MX$364.8K

-8.56%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$22.4K MX$389.4K

6.13%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$55.7 MX$968

-26.07%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$22.46 MX$391

23.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$28.47 MX$495

5.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$36.13 MX$629

48.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$15.91 MX$277

63.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$4.56 MX$79.4

42.32%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$203 MX$3,538

114.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$3,650 MX$63.5K

186.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$53.3 MX$928

9.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$39.33 MX$684

16.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$88.3 MX$1,537

14.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$79.7 MX$1,387

33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$516 MX$8,978

94.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$393 MX$6,836

61.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$946 MX$16.5K

127.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$748 MX$13.0K

66.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$2,179 MX$37.9K

77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,225 MX$21.3K

70.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 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: July 22, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $516 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $245 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $1,063 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,595 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $516 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $203 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 $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,063 in San Felipe versus $1,481 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.