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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,045 in San Sebastian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $3,005 in San Sebastian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $3,966 in San Sebastian.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 19% less than in San Sebastian, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, San Sebastian 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$17.27 €15.06

-30.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$64.3 €56.0

-19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$10.81 €9.42

5.55%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.11 €1.84

89.10%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.86 €2.49

-41.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$1.69 €1.47

-21.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$3.44 €3.00

0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.70 €3.22

59.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.17 €1.02

60.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.05 €0.91

209.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.83 €1.60

18.03%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.77 €3.29

-23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$23.83 €20.78

-46.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$8.22 €7.17

22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$21.81 €19.01

-27.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.60 €2.26

26.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$2.36 €2.06

-14.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.30 €2.87

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$3.04 €2.65

-22.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.17 €1.89

-5.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$2.11 €1.84

-9.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.21 €1.06

33.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.57 €0.50

145.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$6.52 €5.68

-16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.49 €6.53

135.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.08 €0.94

90.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.86 €1.62

151.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$2.18 €1.90

-84.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$35.22 €30.70

-40.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$6.88 €6.00

-69.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.99 €0.86

-43.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$22.83 €19.90

-74.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.71 €1.49

-5.85%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$38.2K €33.3K

-40.18%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$29.8K €26.0K

-10.37%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$144 €125

-54.68%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$21.11 €18.40

42.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$35.81 €31.22

3.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$44.12 €38.46

35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$20.03 €17.46

32.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.84 €7.71

-20.36%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$456 €398

1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$14.1K €12.3K

-5.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$75.9 €66.2

-0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$32.78 €28.58

70.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$76.5 €66.7

46.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$141 €123

-14.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$1,454 €1,268

-24.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$1,020 €889

-29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$2,348 €2,047

7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$1,599 €1,394

-19.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$9,927 €8,654

-59.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$4,931 €4,298

-57.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$2,769 €2,414

-62.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

2.92

286.99%

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 Sebastian: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $1,454 in San Sebastian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Sebastian pays 167% 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 $64.0 in San Sebastian. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $325, with San Sebastian cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sebastian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Sebastian differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $2,045 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 167% lower in San Sebastian. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $1,454 in San Sebastian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 69% less than in San Sebastian. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $456 in San Sebastian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,045 in San Sebastian, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Sebastian. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and San Sebastian 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in San Sebastian. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.