Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Juan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Juan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $612 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $991 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,370 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 142% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Juan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.02 ARS 8,406

115.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$29.50 ARS 41.2K

79.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.19 ARS 11.4K

18.68%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.49 ARS 2,082

151.68%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.95 ARS 1,320

65.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.85 ARS 1,188

32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.97 ARS 2,745

61.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.95 ARS 4,113

57.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.79 ARS 1,098

105.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.70 ARS 982

287.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.22 ARS 1,708

54.10%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.66 ARS 2,313

51.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$3.50 ARS 4,879

188.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.57 ARS 4,986

132.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$4.03 ARS 5,628

196.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.54 ARS 2,143

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.52 ARS 2,117

15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.52 ARS 2,120

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.10 ARS 2,924

-6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.67 ARS 936

222.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.62 ARS 871

251.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.39 ARS 538

256.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.87 ARS 1,214

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$1.72 ARS 2,406

144.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.55 ARS 6,343

213.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.54 ARS 2,154

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.78 ARS 2,484

106.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.29 ARS 399

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$4.94 ARS 6,893

277.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.41 ARS 579

239.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.02 ARS 1,419

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$4.96 ARS 6,920

9.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.10 ARS 1,536

22.73%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$30.9K ARS 43.1M

-38.89%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.6K ARS 28.7M

12.40%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$78.0 ARS 108.8K

-47.66%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$5.04 ARS 7,029

445.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$10.12 ARS 14.1K

200.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$17.92 ARS 25.0K

198.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$5.84 ARS 8,152

350.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$2.02 ARS 2,825

210.40%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$104 ARS 145.8K

317.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,123 ARS 3.0M

393.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.0 ARS 69.8K

13.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$50.7 ARS 70.7K

-11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$99.9 ARS 139.4K

2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$119 ARS 166.1K

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$147 ARS 205.4K

579.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$91.0 ARS 126.9K

582.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$250 ARS 348.5K

755.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$202 ARS 282.4K

510.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,054 ARS 2.9M

88.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$2,059 ARS 2.9M

13.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$699 ARS 974.9K

52.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-85.65%

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 Juan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $147 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 53% 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 $29.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $136 per month, with San Juan 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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Juan differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $612 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 53% 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 $147 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 278% 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 $104 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $612 in San Juan versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and San Juan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.