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 $791 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,179 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,568 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, San Fernando is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$3.49 ₱212

271.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$13.13 ₱797

300.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$2.69 ₱163

250.56%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.08 ₱65.9

230.56%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.46 ₱27.97

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.34 ₱20.45

238.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.36 ₱82.7

131.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.39 ₱84.7

249.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.92 ₱117

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.23 ₱74.8

114.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.90 ₱54.4

111.11%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.19 ₱133

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.24 ₱561

9.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.70 ₱225

124.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.67 ₱466

50.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.73 ₱166

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.73 ₱105

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.35 ₱143

-12.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.17 ₱71.2

76.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.88 ₱114

9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.15 ₱130

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.67 ₱40.50

108.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.64 ₱38.83

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.34 ₱203

28.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$9.02 ₱548

70.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.07 ₱65.1

56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.42 ₱86.1

159.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.26 ₱15.70

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$20.97 ₱1,274

-9.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.74 ₱44.90

86.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.22 ₱13.29

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$1.07 ₱65.2

406.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.15 ₱70.1

11.30%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$28.6K ₱1.7M

-33.67%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$23.6K ₱1.4M

-0.67%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$107 ₱6,484

-61.59%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$17.57 ₱1,067

53.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$26.07 ₱1,583

13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$30.79 ₱1,870

69.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$4.36 ₱265

501.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.32 ₱262

43.06%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$61.9 ₱3,759

589.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$1,953 ₱118.6K

447.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$35.19 ₱2,137

61.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$15.77 ₱957

184.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$52.9 ₱3,213

97.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$47.04 ₱2,856

125.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$353 ₱21.4K

181.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$236 ₱14.3K

163.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$596 ₱36.2K

256.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$493 ₱29.9K

154.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,342 ₱142.2K

66.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,144 ₱69.4K

83.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$342 ₱20.8K

223.45%

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: 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 $353 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 223% 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 $288 vs $199 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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $791 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 223% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $353 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 10% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $61.9 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $791 in San Fernando versus $1,447 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 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.