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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $798 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,288 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,777 in San Juan.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Juan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.76 ₱170

373.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$8.65 ₱533

521.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.49 ₱215

177.36%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.91 ₱180

28.52%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.78 ₱47.94

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.45 ₱27.49

157.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.44 ₱88.8

124.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.05 ₱127

131.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.82 ₱112

-9.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.57 ₱96.6

75.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.98 ₱60.7

90.82%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.05 ₱126

21.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.94 ₱490

28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.05 ₱312

63.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.82 ₱667

9.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.37 ₱146

27.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.51 ₱93.0

19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.09 ₱191

-35.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.15 ₱70.7

73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.68 ₱103

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.57 ₱220

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.11 ₱68.3

31.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.87 ₱53.9

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.88 ₱178

51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.65 ₱472

122.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.70 ₱43.01

147.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.63 ₱101

119.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.17 ₱10.70

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.72 ₱44.60

84.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.22 ₱13.56

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.16 ₱133

143.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.15 ₱71.0

16.52%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

-31.21%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

34.65%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$129 ₱7,974

-68.53%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$33.17 ₱2,046

-18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$26.36 ₱1,626

15.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$70.7 ₱4,358

-25.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$4.40 ₱271

505.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$3.91 ₱241

66.50%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$145 ₱8,954

194.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,310 ₱265.8K

143.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$45.56 ₱2,810

25.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.35 ₱2,119

32.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$68.1 ₱4,197

52.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$116 ₱7,171

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$265 ₱16.3K

278.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$107 ₱6,616

480.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,297 ₱80.0K

62.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$398 ₱24.5K

206.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,653 ₱163.6K

46.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$917 ₱56.6K

121.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$240 ₱14.8K

332.12%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Juan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $265 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 332% 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 $292 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 ($1,456 vs $798 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 332% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $265 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 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 $798 in San Juan versus $1,456 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.