Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Pedro Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Pedro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $710 in San Pedro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,068 in San Pedro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,425 in San Pedro.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 134% more expensive than in San Pedro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, San Pedro is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.02 ₱252

196.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$16.37 ₱1,029

215.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$2.87 ₱180

297.56%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.79 ₱113

122.91%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$0.56 ₱35.31

196.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.34 ₱21.08

291.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$0.98 ₱61.4

254.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.56 ₱98.2

278.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.67 ₱105

12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.15 ₱72.1

182.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.94 ₱59.3

129.79%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.01 ₱126

44.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$4.99 ₱314

157.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$3.43 ₱215

193.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.80 ₱427

133.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.31 ₱145

42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.61 ₱101

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.38 ₱149

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.02 ₱64.0

131.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.73 ₱109

18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.72 ₱108

10.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.62 ₱39.15

159.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.49 ₱30.85

185.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.96 ₱186

84.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$8.82 ₱554

100.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$0.99 ₱61.9

108.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.09 ₱131

123.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.22 ₱13.94

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$11.91 ₱749

74.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.82 ₱51.4

156.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.21 ₱13.15

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.96 ₱123

196.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.20 ₱75.2

34.17%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

5.83%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

41.93%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$124 ₱7,801

-47.51%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$15.32 ₱963

96.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$23.32 ₱1,465

59.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$28.65 ₱1,800

108.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$5.22 ₱328

408.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.05 ₱318

39.41%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$133 ₱8,347

249.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$8,826 ₱554.5K

50.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$28.74 ₱1,806

164.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$19.14 ₱1,203

192.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$72.8 ₱4,571

53.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$56.1 ₱3,526

114.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$260 ₱16.3K

323.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$181 ₱11.4K

298.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$445 ₱27.9K

468.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$313 ₱19.7K

313.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,714 ₱170.5K

47.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,144 ₱71.9K

82.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$306 ₱19.2K

238.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $260 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 239% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in San Pedro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $172 per month, with San Pedro 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 Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Pedro differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $710 including rent). San Pedro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $260 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Pedro runs roughly 75% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $133 in San Pedro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $710 in San Pedro versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Pedro but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro 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 Pedro 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 San Pedro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.