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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $610 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,003 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,395 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 141% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$6.04 ARS 8,975

117.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$30.49 ARS 45.3K

75.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.76 ARS 11.5K

20.23%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.55 ARS 2,300

138.71%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.97 ARS 1,439

64.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.89 ARS 1,320

25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.03 ARS 3,007

54.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.91 ARS 4,322

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.71 ARS 1,061

132.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.67 ARS 993

304.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.27 ARS 1,889

50.39%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.67 ARS 2,486

55.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$3.47 ARS 5,146

182.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.40 ARS 5,051

147.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$3.90 ARS 5,794

205.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.48 ARS 2,194

99.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.48 ARS 2,203

17.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.54 ARS 2,286

32.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.17 ARS 3,227

-5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.63 ARS 936

241.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.63 ARS 931

258.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.41 ARS 611

239.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.87 ARS 1,293

28.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.80 ARS 2,667

134.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.06 ARS 7,510

246.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.47 ARS 2,190

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.78 ARS 2,648

103.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.31 ARS 467

12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$4.94 ARS 7,338

291.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.42 ARS 623

228.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.99 ARS 1,469

-71.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$4.95 ARS 7,352

6.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.14 ARS 1,695

19.30%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$31.5K ARS 46.7M

-39.29%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.7K ARS 30.8M

13.83%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$76.5 ARS 113.6K

-47.04%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$5.02 ARS 7,454

445.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$10.04 ARS 14.9K

202.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$17.67 ARS 26.2K

195.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$5.85 ARS 8,692

352.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$2.04 ARS 3,030

203.43%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$102 ARS 151.2K

317.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$2,150 ARS 3.2M

399.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$50.4 ARS 74.8K

15.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$49.15 ARS 73.0K

-9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$101 ARS 149.8K

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$119 ARS 177.0K

-8.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$150 ARS 222.1K

578.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$89.8 ARS 133.3K

593.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$251 ARS 373.4K

742.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$201 ARS 299.2K

507.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,460 ARS 3.7M

54.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$2,094 ARS 3.1M

0.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$710 ARS 1.1M

48.21%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $150 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 48% 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 $30.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $134 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 141% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $610 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $150 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 291% 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 $102 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $610 in San Juan versus $1,472 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 141% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.