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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $907 in San Rafael.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,430 in San Rafael.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,954 in San Rafael.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than in San Rafael, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Rafael is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$9.97 ARS 14.7K

31.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$19.95 ARS 29.5K

169.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.97 ARS 8,817

62.14%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.76 ARS 2,606

112.50%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.01 ARS 1,494

60.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.97 ARS 1,440

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$0.98 ARS 1,452

229.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$1.47 ARS 2,177

222.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.02 ARS 1,507

61.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.55 ARS 2,284

77.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.43 ARS 2,111

30.77%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.58 ARS 2,341

58.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.43 ARS 8,031

87.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$7.38 ARS 10.9K

11.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$6.55 ARS 9,684

80.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.76 ARS 2,605

71.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.49 ARS 2,198

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.47 ARS 2,172

36.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$0.92 ARS 1,356

117.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.70 ARS 1,030

197.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$0.69 ARS 1,015

228.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.61 ARS 895

139.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.28 ARS 1,888

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$1.79 ARS 2,651

143.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$4.90 ARS 7,241

246.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.12 ARS 1,659

54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.65 ARS 2,445

116.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.83 ARS 1,220

-53.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.45 ARS 667

195.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.02 ARS 1,511

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$4.78 ARS 7,059

9.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$0.83 ARS 1,228

61.45%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$31.5K ARS 46.6M

-38.44%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$32.9K ARS 48.6M

-27.53%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$77.6 ARS 114.6K

-47.54%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$6.57 ARS 9,713

308.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$15.45 ARS 22.8K

97.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$26.43 ARS 39.1K

99.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$13.94 ARS 20.6K

91.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.89 ARS 8,703

10.53%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$102 ARS 151.2K

318.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$2,138 ARS 3.2M

391.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$81.1 ARS 119.8K

-29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$75.6 ARS 111.7K

-39.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$149 ARS 219.7K

-30.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$121 ARS 178.2K

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$338 ARS 499.6K

196.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$236 ARS 348.3K

164.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$676 ARS 999.0K

212.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$539 ARS 797.1K

125.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$2,551 ARS 3.8M

52.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,596 ARS 2.4M

27.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-85.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $338 in San Rafael. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in San Rafael for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $179 per month, with San Rafael 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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Rafael differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $907 including rent). San Rafael is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,360 in San Rafael 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $338 in San Rafael. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $102 in San Rafael. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Rafael – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 in San Rafael versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Rafael but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Rafael 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 Rafael 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 Rafael gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.