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 $1,197 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,968 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,740 in San Fernando.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 24% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.30 TTD 70.0

26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$59.2 TTD 402

-10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.54 TTD 51.2

28.91%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.76 TTD 25.52

-0.27%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.09 TTD 7.37

44.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.80 TTD 5.45

41.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.90 TTD 12.89

67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.47 TTD 16.76

88.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.00 TTD 13.56

-19.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.32 TTD 15.74

16.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.57 TTD 17.44

-26.85%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$3.77 TTD 25.58

-33.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.07 TTD 54.8

24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.36 TTD 70.3

-19.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$8.47 TTD 57.5

40.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.81 TTD 39.45

-50.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.55 TTD 17.30

-31.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.29 TTD 29.10

-51.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.63 TTD 31.46

-57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.23 TTD 8.33

75.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.77 TTD 5.23

183.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.46 TTD 9.90

-4.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.21 TTD 8.22

-7.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.52 TTD 37.49

-23.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$17.74 TTD 120

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.50 TTD 10.20

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.73 TTD 18.54

34.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.42 TTD 2.86

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$44.18 TTD 300

-57.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.92 TTD 6.23

51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.92 TTD 6.24

-67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$14.79 TTD 100

-63.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.03 TTD 7.00

31.07%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$34.2K TTD 232.4K

-44.82%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$38.8K TTD 263.7K

-40.39%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$45.18 TTD 307

-9.65%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$42.01 TTD 285

-34.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$46.20 TTD 314

-34.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$45.57 TTD 309

17.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$8.82 TTD 59.9

198.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$9.12 TTD 61.9

-31.25%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$326 TTD 2,212

33.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,226 TTD 15.1K

370.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$45.00 TTD 306

26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$36.74 TTD 249

21.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$88.3 TTD 600

16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$89.8 TTD 610

20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$532 TTD 3,610

88.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$348 TTD 2,365

78.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$977 TTD 6,636

118.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$699 TTD 4,749

76.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,016 TTD 13.7K

91.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,497 TTD 10.2K

55.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,009 TTD 6,850

5.79%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $532 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 6% 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 $59.0 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $329 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,197 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 6% 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 $532 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 137% 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 $326 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,197 in San Fernando versus $1,484 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.