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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,089 in San Felipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,739 in San Felipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,390 in San Felipe.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than San Felipe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, San Felipe is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$7.07 MX$123

86.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$39.72 MX$694

35.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$7.94 MX$139

18.64%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$3.23 MX$56.5

9.91%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$1.24 MX$21.73

30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.98 MX$17.04

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$2.32 MX$40.55

34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$3.96 MX$69.1

16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.50 MX$26.14

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$2.58 MX$45.14

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.57 MX$27.43

21.66%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.29 MX$40.07

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$8.16 MX$143

22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$7.89 MX$138

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$10.63 MX$186

9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$2.68 MX$46.80

10.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.40 MX$24.42

29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.79 MX$31.27

12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.61 MX$28.09

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.85 MX$32.33

14.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$2.01 MX$35.17

12.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$1.26 MX$22.02

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$1.03 MX$17.99

9.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.22 MX$73.7

1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$11.63 MX$203

33.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.60 MX$27.93

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.86 MX$49.87

25.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.65 MX$11.42

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$2.64 MX$46.16

-47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.54 MX$26.83

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$8.24 MX$144

-33.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.28 MX$22.33

1.56%

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$21.2K MX$370.3K

-11.86%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$22.5K MX$392.5K

2.92%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$56.6 MX$989

-27.82%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$21.87 MX$382

22.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$28.67 MX$501

4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$36.07 MX$630

44.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$15.61 MX$273

71.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$4.66 MX$81.3

35.19%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$207 MX$3,611

110.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$3,628 MX$63.4K

187.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$53.1 MX$928

6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$40.10 MX$700

10.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$90.2 MX$1,574

14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$79.9 MX$1,395

32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$503 MX$8,785

103.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$392 MX$6,847

60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$937 MX$16.4K

128.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$752 MX$13.1K

65.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$2,019 MX$35.3K

93.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,261 MX$22.0K

63.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Felipe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $503 in San Felipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in San Felipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $253 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,089 including rent). San Felipe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,633 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $503 in San Felipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $207 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 $1,089 in San Felipe versus $1,467 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.