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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,253 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,001 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,749 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, San Fernando is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.29 TTD 69.4

17.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$59.1 TTD 399

-8.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.15 TTD 54.9

36.07%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.80 TTD 25.64

7.89%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.99 TTD 6.67

69.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.76 TTD 5.12

82.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.87 TTD 12.61

78.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.51 TTD 16.92

134.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.03 TTD 13.66

-8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.26 TTD 15.25

40.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.81 TTD 18.92

-26.33%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.93 TTD 26.50

-25.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.79 TTD 45.75

85.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$9.95 TTD 67.1

1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.72 TTD 58.8

84.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$5.54 TTD 37.36

-38.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.47 TTD 16.65

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.59 TTD 24.23

-40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$4.18 TTD 28.20

-42.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.72 TTD 4.86

195.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.77 TTD 5.19

161.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.51 TTD 10.19

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.16 TTD 7.82

17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$5.76 TTD 38.84

0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$17.73 TTD 120

0.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.56 TTD 10.53

32.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$3.04 TTD 20.50

51.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.45 TTD 3.05

-17.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$44.37 TTD 299

-52.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.87 TTD 5.86

135.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.90 TTD 6.09

-35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$14.99 TTD 101

-59.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.17 TTD 7.91

32.48%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$36.2K TTD 244.4K

-36.89%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$41.2K TTD 277.8K

-33.90%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$44.23 TTD 298

52.41%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$42.55 TTD 287

-28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$46.30 TTD 312

-19.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$51.0 TTD 344

20.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$8.89 TTD 59.9

-20.02%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$396 TTD 2,670

15.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$11.0K TTD 74.2K

24.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$55.2 TTD 372

34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$37.31 TTD 252

52.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$89.7 TTD 605

28.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$87.5 TTD 590

38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$509 TTD 3,429

125.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$391 TTD 2,634

81.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$891 TTD 6,007

189.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$745 TTD 5,025

73.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,997 TTD 13.5K

100.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,513 TTD 10.2K

40.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,028 TTD 6,928

5.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.75

96.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $509 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 5% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in San Fernando. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $317, with San Fernando cheaper for home cooking.

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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,253 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $509 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 109% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $396 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in San Fernando versus $1,677 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.