Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Pawl Il-bahar Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Pawl Il-bahar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,591 in Mexico City versus $1,634 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,478 in Mexico City versus $2,609 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,365 in Mexico City versus $3,584 in San Pawl Il-bahar.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 3% less than in San Pawl Il-bahar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, San Pawl Il-bahar 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.06 MX$219

$19.69 €17.49

-38.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 MX$922

$84.7 €75.2

-40.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$198

$11.15 €9.90

-2.24%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$68.1

$2.59 €2.30

44.79%

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

$1.61 MX$29.26

$2.45 €2.18

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$23.87

$2.11 €1.87

-37.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MX$61.1

$4.47 €3.97

-24.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 MX$103

$5.26 €4.68

8.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.11

$1.40 €1.25

26.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$55.9

$1.20 €1.06

156.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 MX$35.67

$4.02 €3.57

-51.00%

Eggs

$2.79 MX$50.7

$3.68 €3.27

-24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 MX$216

$8.24 €7.32

44.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 MX$171

$7.90 €7.02

18.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 MX$278

$9.37 €8.33

63.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 MX$57.3

$3.14 €2.79

0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MX$35.93

$2.11 €1.88

-6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$37.57

$2.94 €2.61

-29.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MX$42.23

$2.79 €2.48

-16.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$37.54

$1.62 €1.44

27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$34.89

$1.82 €1.61

5.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.65

$1.23 €1.09

23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$24.04

$1.27 €1.13

3.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 MX$95.5

$6.26 €5.56

-15.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 MX$306

$8.11 €7.20

107.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$35.41

$1.54 €1.37

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$79.4

$1.96 €1.74

122.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.20

$2.78 €2.47

-87.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.99 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 MX$35.85

$5.79 €5.14

-65.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 MX$10.42

$2.21 €1.96

-74.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$98.4

$27.04 €24.02

-79.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$27.72

$1.50 €1.33

2.00%

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

$21.5K MX$389.9K

$38.5K €34.2K

-44.16%

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

$25.3K MX$459.7K

$39.9K €35.4K

-36.44%

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

$61.5 MX$1,116

$59.9 €53.2

2.69%

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

$27.38 MX$497

$20.99 €18.65

30.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.93 MX$634

$41.27 €36.66

-15.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 MX$1,031

$52.0 €46.21

9.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.27 MX$459

$13.78 €12.24

83.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 MX$124

$9.93 €8.82

-31.12%

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

$438 MX$7,952

$369 €328

18.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K MX$233.0K

$11.3K €10.1K

13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 MX$1,292

$22.41 €19.91

217.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$975

$34.26 €30.43

56.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$1,982

$98.9 €87.9

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,119

$74.7 €66.4

56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 MX$19.0K

$983 €873

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 MX$12.5K

$790 €702

-13.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 MX$43.7K

$1,641 €1,457

46.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 MX$22.8K

$1,410 €1,252

-10.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,814 MX$69.2K

$3,559 €3,161

7.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,994 MX$36.2K

$2,942 €2,613

-32.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$998 MX$18.1K

$1,681 €1,493

-40.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.9

289.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 26, 2026

Last update for San Pawl Il-bahar: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,050 in Mexico City and $983 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pawl Il-bahar pays 69% 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: $51.0 in Mexico City vs $85.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $260, with San Pawl Il-bahar 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 Pawl Il-bahar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Pawl Il-bahar differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,591 vs $1,634 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in San Pawl Il-bahar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,050 in Mexico City versus $983 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $438 in Mexico City versus $369 in San Pawl Il-bahar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $85.0 in San Pawl Il-bahar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,591 in Mexico City versus $1,634 in San Pawl Il-bahar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Pawl Il-bahar. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and San Pawl Il-bahar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in San Pawl Il-bahar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.