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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,022 in San Juan del Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,719 in San Juan del Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,417 in San Juan del Sur.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than San Juan del Sur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, San Juan del Sur is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.25 NIO 156

210.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$33.80 NIO 1,238

59.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.52 NIO 202

70.65%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.35 NIO 86.0

51.06%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.85 NIO 31.14

90.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.68 NIO 25.06

63.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.30 NIO 47.48

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.02 NIO 73.9

129.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.26 NIO 46.20

34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.48 NIO 54.1

83.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.17 NIO 42.88

63.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.96 NIO 71.7

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.79 NIO 285

28.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.39 NIO 234

26.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.97 NIO 292

45.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.85 NIO 141

-22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.84 NIO 30.90

115.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.78 NIO 65.1

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.26 NIO 82.8

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$3.14 NIO 115

-32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.17 NIO 79.5

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.01 NIO 36.99

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.01 NIO 36.93

11.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.61 NIO 95.4

63.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.65 NIO 354

61.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.46 NIO 53.5

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.23 NIO 81.9

61.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.47 NIO 53.9

-6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.83 NIO 250

-20.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.25 NIO 45.66

4.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.9K NIO 838.0K

-18.33%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$25.9K NIO 948.6K

-10.70%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$41.71 NIO 1,528

-2.04%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$10.58 NIO 388

153.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$36.56 NIO 1,339

-18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$29.69 NIO 1,087

75.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.80 NIO 286

-19.23%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$123 NIO 4,505

254.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,973 NIO 218.8K

74.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$78.8 NIO 2,884

-28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$73.8 NIO 2,702

-39.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$130 NIO 4,761

-20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$110 NIO 4,025

-3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$461 NIO 16.9K

121.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$409 NIO 15.0K

54.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$955 NIO 35.0K

123.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$958 NIO 35.1K

29.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$280 NIO 10.2K

298.89%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $461 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 299% 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 $288 vs $223 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,022 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 299% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $461 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 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 $1,022 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,467 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 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.