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: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $772 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,317 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,863 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in San Juan, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, San Juan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$202

$10.49 TTD 70.6

6.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$891

$57.9 TTD 389

-15.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$204

$8.08 TTD 54.4

38.99%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$68.4

$3.64 TTD 24.48

3.30%

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

$1.65 MX$30.05

$1.20 TTD 8.04

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.27

$0.70 TTD 4.74

82.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.2

$2.18 TTD 14.69

49.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$103

$2.90 TTD 19.54

95.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.92

$2.00 TTD 13.45

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$53.5

$2.31 TTD 15.56

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.27

$2.86 TTD 19.28

-28.32%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.2

$3.76 TTD 25.31

-22.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$217

$6.50 TTD 43.71

83.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$173

$10.22 TTD 68.8

-6.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$270

$9.17 TTD 61.7

61.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.2

$5.61 TTD 37.73

-44.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.65

$2.49 TTD 16.77

-19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$3.61 TTD 24.29

-42.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.35

$4.39 TTD 29.51

-49.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.47

$0.76 TTD 5.10

171.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.14

$0.75 TTD 5.07

150.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.93

$1.45 TTD 9.76

2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.47

$1.16 TTD 7.79

16.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$98.4

$5.47 TTD 36.83

-1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$307

$18.02 TTD 121

-6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.09

$1.50 TTD 10.09

32.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$78.7

$2.96 TTD 19.92

45.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.11

$0.86 TTD 5.77

144.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.65

$0.90 TTD 6.06

-41.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$98.3

$14.55 TTD 97.9

-62.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.65

$1.11 TTD 7.47

36.94%

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

$21.7K MX$395.3K

$36.4K TTD 245.1K

-40.33%

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

$24.8K MX$451.4K

$40.5K TTD 272.6K

-38.76%

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

$63.0 MX$1,145

$44.96 TTD 302

40.06%

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

$28.88 MX$525

$41.52 TTD 279

-30.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$617

$45.45 TTD 306

-25.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$123

$8.82 TTD 59.4

-23.24%

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

$428 MX$7,781

$404 TTD 2,719

5.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$216.0K

$11.0K TTD 74.1K

7.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,274

$55.6 TTD 374

26.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$977

$36.30 TTD 244

48.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,997

$89.7 TTD 604

22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,096

$89.9 TTD 605

28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.75

96.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in San Juan. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $320, 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 102% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $772 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,341 in Mexico City and $1,158 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 $428 in Mexico City versus $404 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 $58.0 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in San Juan versus $1,561 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 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.