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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $804 in San Pedro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,252 in San Pedro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,700 in San Pedro.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than in San Pedro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Pedro is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.76 ₱292

176.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$21.65 ₱1,325

147.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.04 ₱186

206.91%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.72 ₱167

36.03%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.90 ₱55.0

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.34 ₱21.01

229.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.22 ₱74.7

157.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.71 ₱166

78.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.98 ₱121

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.24 ₱76.0

118.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.09 ₱66.4

75.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.95 ₱119

32.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$6.95 ₱426

41.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.18 ₱256

101.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.07 ₱433

68.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.39 ₱207

-12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.59 ₱97.1

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.99 ₱183

-31.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.71 ₱105

20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.73 ₱167

-21.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$3.06 ₱187

-26.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.64 ₱101

-15.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.69 ₱42.53

62.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.17 ₱194

33.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$9.03 ₱553

93.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.44 ₱87.9

18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.98 ₱121

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.26 ₱15.71

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.79 ₱48.25

74.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.22 ₱13.40

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.10 ₱129

151.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.14 ₱70.0

19.30%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$25.8K ₱1.6M

-25.87%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

14.80%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$137 ₱8,386

-70.41%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$21.51 ₱1,317

27.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$27.88 ₱1,707

8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$34.40 ₱2,106

51.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$4.48 ₱274

491.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.86 ₱420

-9.77%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$80.9 ₱4,954

425.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$2,809 ₱172.0K

282.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$32.18 ₱1,970

81.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$29.06 ₱1,779

53.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$81.8 ₱5,009

26.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$46.57 ₱2,851

133.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$262 ₱16.1K

286.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$176 ₱10.8K

253.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$585 ₱35.8K

262.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$389 ₱23.8K

214.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,239 ₱137.0K

69.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,071 ₱65.5K

97.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$313 ₱19.2K

235.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.52

50.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $262 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 236% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in San Pedro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $213 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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $804 including rent). San Pedro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 236% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $262 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $80.9 in San Pedro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Pedro – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $804 in San Pedro versus $1,472 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 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.