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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $818 in San Pedro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,246 in San Pedro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,675 in San Pedro.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than San Pedro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, San Pedro is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.85 ₱295

167.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$21.31 ₱1,294

146.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.15 ₱191

199.37%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.71 ₱165

31.73%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.98 ₱59.3

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.37 ₱22.77

210.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.27 ₱77.0

148.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.64 ₱160

84.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.90 ₱116

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.21 ₱73.2

118.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.09 ₱66.0

74.31%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.95 ₱118

30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$6.91 ₱420

45.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.18 ₱254

98.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.30 ₱443

58.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.48 ₱211

-12.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.54 ₱93.7

11.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.98 ₱181

-31.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.64 ₱99.5

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.76 ₱168

-25.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$3.18 ₱193

-31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.64 ₱99.7

-14.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.66 ₱39.92

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.24 ₱197

32.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.82 ₱535

74.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.44 ₱87.7

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.02 ₱122

82.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.28 ₱17.06

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.81 ₱49.24

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.22 ₱13.35

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$2.17 ₱132

149.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.14 ₱69.1

12.28%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$25.6K ₱1.6M

-25.87%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

17.18%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$136 ₱8,273

-69.89%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$22.14 ₱1,345

21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$27.00 ₱1,640

9.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$33.75 ₱2,049

55.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$4.39 ₱267

497.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.73 ₱408

-8.17%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$81.8 ₱4,969

421.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$2,753 ₱167.2K

288.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$32.53 ₱1,975

74.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.12 ₱1,768

53.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$81.1 ₱4,927

28.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$45.89 ₱2,787

130.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$271 ₱16.4K

267.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$176 ₱10.7K

252.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$598 ₱36.3K

255.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$390 ₱23.7K

221.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,228 ₱135.3K

75.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$965 ₱58.6K

117.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$305 ₱18.5K

263.29%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $271 in San Pedro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 263% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in San Pedro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $212 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 77% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $818 including rent). San Pedro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 263% more on average, 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $271 in San Pedro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $81.8 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 $21.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $818 in San Pedro versus $1,447 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 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.