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 $1,217 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,005 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,794 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Fernando is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$10.40 TTD 70.1

26.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$59.1 TTD 399

-9.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$7.54 TTD 50.9

23.74%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$3.68 TTD 24.82

0.54%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$1.09 TTD 7.34

46.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.77 TTD 5.18

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.82 TTD 12.30

72.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.48 TTD 16.73

95.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$2.03 TTD 13.72

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$2.34 TTD 15.80

15.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$2.63 TTD 17.71

-27.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$3.83 TTD 25.83

-32.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$8.09 TTD 54.6

21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$10.45 TTD 70.5

-19.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$8.70 TTD 58.7

37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$5.92 TTD 39.97

-50.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$2.48 TTD 16.75

-29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$4.36 TTD 29.41

-53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$4.67 TTD 31.51

-55.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.24 TTD 8.35

73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$0.76 TTD 5.13

197.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.49 TTD 10.06

-6.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$1.16 TTD 7.85

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$5.69 TTD 38.36

-25.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$17.35 TTD 117

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.52 TTD 10.24

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.71 TTD 18.27

33.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.46 TTD 3.09

-23.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$44.31 TTD 299

-56.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.85 TTD 5.76

62.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.86 TTD 5.77

-67.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$14.56 TTD 98.2

-63.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$0.99 TTD 6.68

37.37%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$34.4K TTD 232.1K

-44.48%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$38.2K TTD 257.8K

-38.24%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$44.86 TTD 303

-9.65%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$42.88 TTD 289

-36.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$45.00 TTD 304

-32.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$46.91 TTD 316

11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$8.62 TTD 58.2

207.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$8.80 TTD 59.4

-29.66%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$325 TTD 2,195

30.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$2,224 TTD 15.0K

382.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$43.93 TTD 296

32.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$36.61 TTD 247

21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$89.7 TTD 605

15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$90.4 TTD 610

20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$533 TTD 3,596

90.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$349 TTD 2,355

78.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$976 TTD 6,583

117.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$695 TTD 4,688

76.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$1,976 TTD 13.3K

91.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$1,484 TTD 10.0K

42.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$1,030 TTD 6,947

2.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.38

110.78%

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 $533 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2% 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $330 per month, with Mexico City 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,217 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $533 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 129% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $325 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,217 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 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.