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 $749 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,110 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,472 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% 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 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.00 ₱251

198.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$16.40 ₱1,029

214.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$2.74 ₱172

316.42%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.23 ₱140

78.92%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.63 ₱39.24

163.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.31 ₱19.13

329.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.06 ₱66.2

227.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.55 ₱97.3

280.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.60 ₱100

17.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.15 ₱72.1

182.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.89 ₱56.1

142.70%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.74 ₱109

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$4.96 ₱311

159.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.47 ₱217

189.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.14 ₱448

122.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.30 ₱144

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.36 ₱85.4

47.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.35 ₱147

-6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.04 ₱65.2

126.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.74 ₱109

17.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.71 ₱107

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.66 ₱41.36

143.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.89 ₱56.1

57.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.83 ₱177

92.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.53 ₱472

134.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$0.96 ₱59.9

114.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.78 ₱112

162.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.24 ₱14.94

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$11.42 ₱716

82.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.77 ₱48.23

172.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.23 ₱14.45

143.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.96 ₱123

196.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.14 ₱71.3

41.23%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

9.41%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

41.45%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$140 ₱8,754

-53.30%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$14.52 ₱911

107.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$24.57 ₱1,541

51.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$33.55 ₱2,104

78.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$5.02 ₱315

428.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.25 ₱329

34.10%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$72.4 ₱4,540

541.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$2,458 ₱154.2K

440.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$28.28 ₱1,774

168.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$19.75 ₱1,238

183.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$71.7 ₱4,500

55.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$55.4 ₱3,475

117.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$268 ₱16.8K

310.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$169 ₱10.6K

326.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$504 ₱31.6K

402.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$300 ₱18.8K

331.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,930 ₱183.8K

36.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,061 ₱66.5K

97.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$242 ₱15.2K

329.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $268 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 329% 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 $16.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $171 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 122% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $749 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 329% 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 $268 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 82% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $72.4 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $749 in San Juan versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.