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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,053 in San Juan del Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,662 in San Juan del Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,271 in San Juan del Sur.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 58% more expensive than in San Juan del Sur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, San Juan del Sur is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.24 NIO 155

181.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$33.90 NIO 1,242

52.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$5.62 NIO 206

103.02%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.56 NIO 93.8

55.86%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.90 NIO 32.79

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.73 NIO 26.56

82.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.46 NIO 53.5

137.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.97 NIO 72.0

199.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.24 NIO 45.33

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.49 NIO 54.6

118.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.22 NIO 44.54

77.05%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.29 NIO 83.7

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$7.77 NIO 285

65.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.45 NIO 236

55.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.21 NIO 264

119.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$3.62 NIO 133

-9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.57 NIO 21.05

252.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.85 NIO 67.9

18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.19 NIO 80.3

7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$3.14 NIO 115

-34.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.20 NIO 80.5

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.00 NIO 36.60

61.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.02 NIO 37.51

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.59 NIO 94.7

110.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$9.74 NIO 357

81.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.41 NIO 51.6

46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.33 NIO 85.2

100.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.68 NIO 61.5

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.60 NIO 58.6

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$6.68 NIO 245

-13.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.35 NIO 49.27

19.26%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$23.3K NIO 853.2K

-1.95%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$26.3K NIO 962.9K

1.75%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$60.4 NIO 2,212

7.93%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$10.53 NIO 386

185.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$36.64 NIO 1,342

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$29.97 NIO 1,098

99.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.38 NIO 307

-15.99%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$240 NIO 8,802

93.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,957 NIO 218.2K

122.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$70.3 NIO 2,574

7.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$71.9 NIO 2,633

-22.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$131 NIO 4,810

-14.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$109 NIO 3,975

11.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$424 NIO 15.5K

159.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$383 NIO 14.0K

88.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$919 NIO 33.7K

175.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$771 NIO 28.2K

67.80%

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

$343 NIO 12.6K

202.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.25

10.24%

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 del Sur: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $424 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 202% 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 $34.00 in San Juan del Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $220 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,053 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 202% 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 $424 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $240 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,053 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,660 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 58% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.