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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,106 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,770 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,435 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Fernando is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$10.66 MX$185

24.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$38.85 MX$673

38.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.04 MX$139

17.16%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.33 MX$57.7

7.81%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.24 MX$21.45

30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.95 MX$16.51

17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.31 MX$40.05

40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.97 MX$68.8

17.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.44 MX$24.88

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.54 MX$44.09

4.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.61 MX$27.85

21.74%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.39 MX$41.50

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$7.98 MX$138

24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.75 MX$134

8.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.60 MX$184

11.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.62 MX$45.42

9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.44 MX$24.88

20.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.71 MX$29.58

16.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.66 MX$28.77

23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.83 MX$31.67

12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.92 MX$33.29

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.20 MX$20.83

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.98 MX$16.93

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.09 MX$70.9

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$10.29 MX$178

42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.60 MX$27.67

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.88 MX$49.86

23.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.66 MX$11.40

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.55 MX$44.16

-45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.58 MX$27.39

-81.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$8.38 MX$145

-35.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.32 MX$22.90

1.52%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.0K MX$364.1K

-10.27%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$22.4K MX$387.9K

3.66%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$57.6 MX$997

-29.97%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$22.39 MX$388

21.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$27.89 MX$483

5.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$36.08 MX$625

46.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$15.99 MX$277

63.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.74 MX$82.2

30.38%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$205 MX$3,556

114.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,549 MX$61.5K

201.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$53.8 MX$932

6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$40.25 MX$698

11.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$88.1 MX$1,527

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$79.3 MX$1,373

37.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$510 MX$8,832

96.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$400 MX$6,934

57.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$916 MX$15.9K

133.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$768 MX$13.3K

63.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,231 MX$38.7K

67.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,219 MX$21.1K

95.40%

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 Fernando: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $510 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $39 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $247 per month, with San Fernando 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 Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Fernando differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,106 including rent). San Fernando 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 $1,658 in San Fernando 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 $510 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $205 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando – 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 $1,106 in San Fernando versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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.

Expats usually find San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.