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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,332 in San Juan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,095 in San Juan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,859 in San Juan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 11% more expensive than San Juan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Juan is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.42 TTD 50.4

74.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$59.5 TTD 404

-10.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.29 TTD 49.49

33.33%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.72 TTD 25.29

0.81%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.10 TTD 7.46

42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.71 TTD 4.80

59.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.88 TTD 12.75

69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.99 TTD 20.32

55.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.64 TTD 17.95

-38.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.73 TTD 18.56

-0.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.59 TTD 17.58

-27.41%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.89 TTD 33.22

-48.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.16 TTD 55.4

23.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.49 TTD 71.2

-20.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$14.27 TTD 96.9

-16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.75 TTD 39.05

-50.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.51 TTD 17.07

-30.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.25 TTD 28.84

-51.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.82 TTD 32.74

-59.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.49 TTD 10.13

44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.64 TTD 11.14

32.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.95 TTD 13.21

-28.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.47 TTD 9.98

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.08 TTD 41.30

-30.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$19.36 TTD 131

-26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.19 TTD 14.85

-19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.75 TTD 18.65

33.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.00 TTD 6.80

39.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.23 TTD 8.36

-75.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$14.72 TTD 99.9

-63.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.09 TTD 7.41

23.85%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$33.4K TTD 226.5K

-43.40%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$38.2K TTD 259.2K

-39.35%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$79.8 TTD 542

-48.85%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$46.97 TTD 319

-41.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$62.7 TTD 426

-51.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$9.97 TTD 67.7

-37.11%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$323 TTD 2,191

35.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,306 TTD 49.6K

43.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$59.0 TTD 401

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$37.93 TTD 258

18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$146 TTD 989

-29.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$129 TTD 876

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$754 TTD 5,119

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$448 TTD 3,042

38.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,051 TTD 7,134

103.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$753 TTD 5,112

64.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.38

110.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $754 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $60.0 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $377 per month, with Mexico City 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,332 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,998 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $754 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 $323 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 $60.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,332 in San Juan versus $1,484 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.