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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $788 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,177 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,566 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Fernando is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$3.65 ₱223

255.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$13.42 ₱821

295.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$2.73 ₱167

256.04%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$1.09 ₱66.6

244.04%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.45 ₱27.54

248.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.37 ₱22.39

205.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$1.35 ₱82.3

135.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$1.39 ₱85.3

235.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.82 ₱112

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$1.23 ₱75.5

120.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$0.97 ₱59.4

93.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$2.26 ₱138

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$8.92 ₱546

13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.86 ₱236

114.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$7.70 ₱471

55.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$2.62 ₱160

9.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.82 ₱111

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$2.30 ₱141

-9.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$1.21 ₱74.2

62.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$1.84 ₱112

17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$2.15 ₱131

1.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$0.67 ₱40.87

107.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.61 ₱37.05

83.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$3.31 ₱202

26.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$8.38 ₱513

70.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.08 ₱65.8

62.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$1.50 ₱91.7

145.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.26 ₱15.90

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

$20.91 ₱1,279

-10.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$0.73 ₱44.84

90.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$0.22 ₱13.45

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$1.08 ₱66.3

401.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.15 ₱70.4

17.39%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$28.5K ₱1.7M

-33.84%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$23.5K ₱1.4M

-1.39%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$107 ₱6,550

-61.87%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$17.45 ₱1,067

57.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$26.29 ₱1,608

15.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$30.92 ₱1,892

72.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$4.35 ₱266

504.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$4.41 ₱270

42.18%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$60.9 ₱3,723

616.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$1,948 ₱119.2K

437.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$34.49 ₱2,110

64.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$15.97 ₱977

180.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$52.3 ₱3,196

96.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$47.28 ₱2,893

128.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$354 ₱21.6K

182.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$243 ₱14.8K

155.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$590 ₱36.1K

262.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$479 ₱29.3K

157.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$2,226 ₱136.2K

73.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$334 ₱20.4K

219.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.5

106.18%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $354 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 220% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $197 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 88% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $788 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 220% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $354 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $60.9 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $788 in San Fernando versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.