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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in San Juan del Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,748 in San Juan del Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,434 in San Juan del Sur.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in San Juan del Sur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Juan del Sur is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.25 NIO 156

207.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$33.73 NIO 1,235

59.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.54 NIO 203

74.73%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.43 NIO 88.8

53.91%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.79 NIO 28.88

105.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.67 NIO 24.45

73.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.33 NIO 48.78

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.03 NIO 74.5

133.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.26 NIO 46.32

30.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.53 NIO 56.0

79.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.17 NIO 42.74

59.83%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.87 NIO 68.3

33.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.78 NIO 285

31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$6.48 NIO 237

27.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$8.15 NIO 298

45.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$4.00 NIO 146

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$0.83 NIO 30.35

118.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.83 NIO 67.2

9.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$2.17 NIO 79.4

-7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$3.22 NIO 118

-35.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.16 NIO 79.2

5.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.07 NIO 39.10

36.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.06 NIO 38.70

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.71 NIO 99.4

60.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$9.99 NIO 366

70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.42 NIO 51.9

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.21 NIO 80.8

61.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.47 NIO 53.8

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.85 NIO 251

-23.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.24 NIO 45.37

8.06%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$22.5K NIO 825.0K

-13.83%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$26.2K NIO 958.4K

-8.92%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$42.79 NIO 1,567

-4.91%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$10.45 NIO 383

157.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$36.21 NIO 1,326

-15.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$30.32 NIO 1,111

74.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$8.10 NIO 297

-19.63%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$123 NIO 4,499

248.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$6,022 NIO 220.5K

74.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$75.9 NIO 2,780

-24.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$72.9 NIO 2,668

-37.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$134 NIO 4,914

-22.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$108 NIO 3,951

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$464 NIO 17.0K

116.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$402 NIO 14.7K

54.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$962 NIO 35.2K

119.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$961 NIO 35.2K

26.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$354 NIO 13.0K

193.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.25

10.63%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $464 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 193% 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 $34.00 in San Juan del Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $226 per month, with San Juan del Sur 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 del Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Juan del Sur differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,061 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 193% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $464 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $123 in San Juan del Sur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan del Sur – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Juan del Sur but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan del Sur 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 Juan del Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.