Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Rico Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Rico

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,527 in Puerto Rico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,301 in Puerto Rico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,075 in Puerto Rico.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 4% less than in Puerto Rico, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Puerto Rico 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$17.52 €15.07

-24.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$58.2 €50.0

-7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$10.62 €9.14

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.03 €1.75

74.88%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.80 €1.55

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.05 €0.91

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.85 €2.45

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.18 €2.73

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.24 €1.06

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.71 €1.47

59.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.45 €1.25

31.72%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.06 €2.63

-16.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.70 €7.48

15.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.38 €7.21

-3.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.30 €11.44

-12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.41 €2.07

23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.75 €1.51

3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.61 €1.38

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.53 €2.18

-19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.57 €1.35

35.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.70 €1.46

33.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.48 €1.28

-5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.69 €0.59

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.03 €4.33

-15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.98 €6.86

94.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.59 €1.37

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.79 €1.54

101.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.66 €1.42

-77.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.10 €29.34

-43.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$4.50 €3.87

-69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.29 €1.11

-78.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$17.10 €14.71

-68.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.69 €1.45

-23.08%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$38.5K €33.1K

-51.48%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$30.4K €26.2K

-24.03%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$88.7 €76.3

-53.96%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$21.79 €18.75

23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$30.63 €26.35

-2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$46.83 €40.28

11.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$15.20 €13.08

76.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.96 €8.57

-36.75%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$347 €299

25.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,272 €7,116

25.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$83.7 €72.0

-32.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$33.54 €28.85

32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$86.6 €74.5

18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$69.3 €59.6

52.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$842 €724

21.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$699 €601

-9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,340 €1,153

59.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$998 €858

24.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$3,463 €2,979

12.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,284 €1,965

-9.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.5

224.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $842 in Puerto Rico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in Puerto Rico. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $247, with Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Rico differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,527 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $2,290 in Puerto Rico 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $842 in Puerto Rico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 78% less than in Puerto Rico. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $347 in Puerto Rico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,527 in Puerto Rico, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto Rico. 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 Puerto Rico 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 4% less than in Puerto Rico. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.