Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan del Sur: $1,054 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in San Juan del Sur
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San Juan del Sur Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in San Juan del Sur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in San Juan del Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,054 in San Juan del Sur.

Mexico City $1,608
San Juan del Sur $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in San Juan del Sur.

Mexico City $2,549
San Juan del Sur $1,667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,280 in San Juan del Sur.

Mexico City $3,490
San Juan del Sur $2,280

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than in San Juan del Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, San Juan del Sur is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$4.27 NIO 156

148.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$33.86 NIO 1,240

42.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.77 NIO 211

79.38%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.65 NIO 96.9

39.25%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.85 NIO 31.03

96.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.67 NIO 24.57

89.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.53 NIO 56.2

108.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.22 NIO 81.2

139.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.19 NIO 43.49

44.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.54 NIO 56.5

97.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.18 NIO 43.12

64.41%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.38 NIO 87.2

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$7.72 NIO 283

42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$6.51 NIO 239

42.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.73 NIO 283

95.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$4.06 NIO 149

-24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.62 NIO 22.89

212.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.81 NIO 66.4

12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$2.37 NIO 86.9

-2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$3.23 NIO 118

-36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$2.21 NIO 80.9

-18.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.08 NIO 39.69

37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$1.05 NIO 38.61

20.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.70 NIO 99.0

96.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$9.91 NIO 363

62.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.41 NIO 51.6

40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.26 NIO 82.7

88.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.59 NIO 58.1

15.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$1.58 NIO 57.9

-66.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$6.88 NIO 252

-22.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.29 NIO 47.27

17.05%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$22.5K NIO 824.8K

-3.41%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$26.5K NIO 970.5K

-9.49%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$60.5 NIO 2,216

4.06%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$10.52 NIO 385

160.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$32.21 NIO 1,180

10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$30.54 NIO 1,118

92.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$9.02 NIO 331

-29.05%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$235 NIO 8,624

83.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$6,153 NIO 225.4K

85.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$60.0 NIO 2,197

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$64.1 NIO 2,348

-17.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$121 NIO 4,419

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$143 NIO 5,244

-18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$421 NIO 15.4K

164.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$391 NIO 14.3K

81.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$943 NIO 34.5K

174.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$773 NIO 28.3K

81.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$355 NIO 13.0K

166.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.92

-4.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Juan del Sur: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

San Juan del Sur

$391 37.1% 45% $320

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

San Juan del Sur

$226 21.4% 29.3% $93

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

San Juan del Sur

$101 9.6% 49% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

San Juan del Sur

$175 16.6% 12% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

San Juan del Sur

$103 9.8% 18.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

San Juan del Sur

$49 4.6% 32.3% $23

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

San Juan del Sur

$9.5 * 0.9% 62.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $421 in San Juan del Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $34 in San Juan del Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $226 per month, with San Juan del Sur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇳🇮 San Juan del Sur

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

14,741

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 40.87 NIO (100 NIO = 2.45 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City San Juan del Sur 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
San Juan del Sur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,054 in San Juan del Sur, so San Juan del Sur is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $421 in San Juan del Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $235 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 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though San Juan del Sur gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Juan del Sur wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.