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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,577 in San Rafael.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,395 in San Rafael.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $3,214 in San Rafael.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 6% less than in San Rafael, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, San Rafael 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$11.10 ₡5,047

16.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$59.2 ₡26.9K

-10.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$10.00 ₡4,547

-2.80%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.73 ₡1,695

0.54%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.99 ₡904

-21.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$1.64 ₡745

-31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.90 ₡1,317

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$4.55 ₡2,067

2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.95 ₡888

-16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.84 ₡1,293

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.22 ₡1,010

-15.32%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.92 ₡1,326

-14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$9.93 ₡4,513

1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.18 ₡4,175

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$13.77 ₡6,263

-13.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.59 ₡2,087

-37.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.44 ₡655

21.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.20 ₡1,909

-50.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$3.55 ₡1,615

-44.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$3.39 ₡1,540

-36.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$3.12 ₡1,417

-30.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.97 ₡442

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$2.86 ₡1,298

-60.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.23 ₡2,377

-19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$21.81 ₡9,919

-34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.52 ₡1,146

-30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.79 ₡1,271

31.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.02 ₡465

-61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.85 ₡840

-24.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.86 ₡848

-83.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$7.76 ₡3,528

-30.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.45 ₡662

-6.90%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$37.2K ₡16.9M

-49.26%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$32.5K ₡14.8M

-28.81%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$92.7 ₡42.1K

-55.94%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$26.11 ₡11.9K

5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$60.5 ₡27.5K

-49.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$57.3 ₡26.1K

-6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$24.16 ₡11.0K

8.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$9.86 ₡4,483

-36.41%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$575 ₡261.6K

-24.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$12.9K ₡5.9M

-18.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$61.6 ₡28.0K

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$52.4 ₡23.8K

-14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$127 ₡57.8K

-19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$109 ₡49.8K

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$779 ₡354.2K

28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$598 ₡272.0K

3.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,526 ₡693.7K

40.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$972 ₡442.0K

27.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.17

11.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $779 in San Rafael. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in San Rafael for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $368 per month, with Mexico City 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,577 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $2,365 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $779 in San Rafael. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $575 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $59.0 in San Rafael. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,577 in San Rafael, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Rafael. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in San Rafael. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.