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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $806 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,302 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,797 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, San Juan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.84 ₱175

364.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$8.61 ₱531

526.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.59 ₱222

162.40%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.97 ₱183

19.53%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.83 ₱51.0

95.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.45 ₱27.51

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.47 ₱90.9

112.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.10 ₱130

120.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.73 ₱107

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.62 ₱100

67.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.94 ₱57.9

103.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.01 ₱124

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.16 ₱503

22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.25 ₱324

54.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.80 ₱666

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.31 ₱142

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.53 ₱94.1

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$3.17 ₱196

-36.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.15 ₱70.9

76.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.75 ₱108

21.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$3.44 ₱212

-34.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.07 ₱66.2

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.90 ₱55.4

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.87 ₱177

48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.33 ₱452

112.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$0.74 ₱45.69

137.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.61 ₱99.5

123.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.16 ₱9.58

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.68 ₱41.72

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.24 ₱14.87

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.09 ₱129

160.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.11 ₱68.5

17.12%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$28.1K ₱1.7M

-33.52%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

30.86%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$128 ₱7,921

-68.17%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$32.96 ₱2,034

-18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$26.09 ₱1,610

14.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$72.0 ₱4,440

-27.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$4.37 ₱270

514.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.07 ₱251

54.79%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$145 ₱8,972

199.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$4,240 ₱261.6K

145.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$45.32 ₱2,796

25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$34.62 ₱2,136

28.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$69.1 ₱4,263

48.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$117 ₱7,214

-9.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$269 ₱16.6K

280.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$107 ₱6,626

487.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,273 ₱78.5K

67.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$391 ₱24.1K

217.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,438 ₱150.5K

60.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,112 ₱68.6K

85.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$242 ₱14.9K

361.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.17

83.79%

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: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $269 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 361% 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 $9.00 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $216 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 82% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $806 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 361% 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 $269 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $145 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in San Juan versus $1,467 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.