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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $888 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,375 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, San Juan is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$7.15 ARS 10.8K

66.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$39.74 ARS 60.1K

29.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$12.33 ARS 18.6K

-7.46%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.52 ARS 3,808

58.33%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.12 ARS 3,208

-21.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.77 ARS 2,673

-24.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.95 ARS 5,968

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$4.40 ARS 6,653

34.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.38 ARS 2,083

36.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.41 ARS 2,128

130.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.39 ARS 2,102

55.40%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.38 ARS 2,087

110.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$2.83 ARS 4,279

354.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.09 ARS 9,211

65.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$11.08 ARS 16.8K

43.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.44 ARS 2,173

128.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.38 ARS 2,083

45.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.37 ARS 2,071

60.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.44 ARS 2,181

63.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.40 ARS 2,118

46.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.40 ARS 2,116

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.39 ARS 2,100

15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.39 ARS 2,108

0.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.77 ARS 4,189

97.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.12 ARS 7,748

244.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.39 ARS 2,100

48.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.46 ARS 2,201

220.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$1.03 ARS 1,559

-66.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.99 ARS 3,009

5.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.99 ARS 1,490

-43.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$5.01 ARS 7,569

15.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.17 ARS 1,766

37.61%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$27.4K ARS 41.4M

-16.64%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$33.0K ARS 49.9M

-19.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$136 ARS 205.9K

-52.14%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$9.91 ARS 15.0K

203.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$17.77 ARS 26.9K

109.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$30.13 ARS 45.6K

98.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.26 ARS 11.0K

-3.03%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$173 ARS 261.9K

168.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$4,210 ARS 6.4M

215.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$109 ARS 164.5K

-30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$43.02 ARS 65.0K

30.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$57.2 ARS 86.5K

95.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$35.33 ARS 53.4K

241.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$247 ARS 373.6K

346.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$198 ARS 299.7K

263.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$502 ARS 759.0K

403.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$405 ARS 612.2K

219.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$693 ARS 1.0M

49.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-79.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for San Juan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $247 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 50% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $189 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 87% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $888 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $247 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $173 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in San Juan versus $1,660 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 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.