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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,117 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,770 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,423 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Fernando is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$10.42 MX$180

26.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$39.35 MX$681

36.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$8.02 MX$139

16.33%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.36 MX$58.1

10.12%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.24 MX$21.50

29.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.91 MX$15.68

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.34 MX$40.51

34.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.97 MX$68.7

22.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.42 MX$24.51

16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.64 MX$45.75

2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.62 MX$28.03

17.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.34 MX$40.41

10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.86 MX$136

24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$7.68 MX$133

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.41 MX$180

14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.65 MX$45.90

11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.38 MX$23.87

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.78 MX$30.81

14.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.66 MX$28.65

24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.90 MX$32.89

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.91 MX$33.08

18.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.21 MX$20.91

14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.02 MX$17.58

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.12 MX$71.2

2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.56 MX$183

65.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.62 MX$28.11

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.82 MX$48.82

28.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.61 MX$10.50

-42.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.56 MX$44.34

-46.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.54 MX$26.70

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$8.33 MX$144

-36.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.26 MX$21.82

7.94%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$21.3K MX$368.5K

-10.30%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$22.5K MX$388.5K

5.12%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$55.6 MX$961

-27.05%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$21.92 MX$379

24.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$27.61 MX$478

10.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$35.59 MX$616

46.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$15.85 MX$274

67.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.61 MX$79.8

34.27%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$204 MX$3,538

107.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,583 MX$62.0K

199.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$53.6 MX$928

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$39.64 MX$686

12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$89.7 MX$1,552

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$79.2 MX$1,369

37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$514 MX$8,891

97.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$393 MX$6,793

58.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$934 MX$16.2K

126.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$761 MX$13.2K

60.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,076 MX$35.9K

82.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,310 MX$22.7K

61.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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 25, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $514 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $248 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,117 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,675 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $514 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $204 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 $1,117 in San Fernando versus $1,472 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.