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: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $757 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,317 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,878 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, San Juan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$10.40 TTD 69.8

13.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$59.4 TTD 399

-12.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$7.88 TTD 52.9

37.94%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$3.82 TTD 25.63

5.50%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.21 TTD 8.15

41.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.78 TTD 5.21

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.27 TTD 15.27

49.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$2.91 TTD 19.52

97.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.99 TTD 13.34

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.29 TTD 15.38

38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$2.89 TTD 19.39

-29.07%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$3.91 TTD 26.28

-23.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$6.77 TTD 45.46

86.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$10.05 TTD 67.5

-1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$8.69 TTD 58.4

84.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$5.36 TTD 35.96

-38.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$2.58 TTD 17.29

-20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$3.63 TTD 24.36

-42.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$4.40 TTD 29.55

-43.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$0.71 TTD 4.77

188.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$0.72 TTD 4.81

159.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$1.44 TTD 9.68

9.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$1.16 TTD 7.81

19.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$5.62 TTD 37.74

-4.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$17.67 TTD 119

1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.56 TTD 10.47

29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.95 TTD 19.80

61.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$0.92 TTD 6.19

123.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.85 TTD 5.71

-34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$14.95 TTD 100

-61.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.16 TTD 7.81

32.76%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$36.4K TTD 244.6K

-38.35%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$41.9K TTD 281.4K

-36.83%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$44.12 TTD 296

49.52%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$42.10 TTD 283

-26.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$46.00 TTD 309

-21.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$8.76 TTD 58.8

-18.61%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$393 TTD 2,637

16.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$10.4K TTD 69.8K

27.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$54.7 TTD 367

38.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$37.55 TTD 252

44.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$87.5 TTD 587

33.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$87.9 TTD 590

38.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.75

97.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for San Juan: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in San Juan. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $318, with San Juan cheaper for home cooking.

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 ($1,682 vs $757 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,523 in Mexico City and $1,135 in San Juan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $393 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 $59.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $757 in San Juan versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.