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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,125 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,764 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,403 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, San Fernando is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$10.50 MX$180

23.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$39.52 MX$678

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$8.05 MX$138

17.14%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.38 MX$58.1

5.62%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.28 MX$21.97

25.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.90 MX$15.49

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.35 MX$40.26

34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.95 MX$67.7

23.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.42 MX$24.40

19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.63 MX$45.08

0.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.63 MX$27.90

16.56%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.28 MX$39.13

11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.89 MX$135

27.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$7.70 MX$132

7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$10.61 MX$182

9.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.71 MX$46.57

11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.41 MX$24.12

21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.78 MX$30.53

15.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.61 MX$27.56

27.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.84 MX$31.55

11.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.98 MX$34.01

9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.22 MX$20.88

14.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.01 MX$17.38

10.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.12 MX$70.8

4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.78 MX$168

57.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.55 MX$26.65

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.86 MX$49.14

29.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.65 MX$11.14

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$2.57 MX$44.07

-46.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.58 MX$27.18

-82.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$8.23 MX$141

-34.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.28 MX$21.95

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.6K MX$370.3K

-12.03%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$22.9K MX$393.4K

2.36%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$56.4 MX$968

-27.24%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$21.98 MX$377

22.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$27.66 MX$475

7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$35.57 MX$611

47.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$15.91 MX$273

64.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.69 MX$80.5

31.77%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$202 MX$3,474

111.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,609 MX$61.9K

196.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$52.6 MX$902

8.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$39.75 MX$682

12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$90.8 MX$1,559

15.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$77.8 MX$1,335

36.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$513 MX$8,806

93.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$392 MX$6,725

58.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$930 MX$16.0K

128.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$749 MX$12.9K

67.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,226 MX$38.2K

75.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,401 MX$24.1K

49.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $513 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,125 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,687 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $513 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $202 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 $40.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,125 in San Fernando versus $1,447 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 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.