Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Spanish Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Spanish Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,050 in Spanish Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,982 in Spanish Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,913 in Spanish Town.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Spanish Town, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Spanish Town is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$16.10 JMD 2,528

-24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$75.2 JMD 11.8K

-28.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.94 JMD 1,404

24.05%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$5.21 JMD 818

-21.31%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.20 JMD 188

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.73 JMD 114

90.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.24 JMD 352

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.07 JMD 483

91.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$4.03 JMD 632

-54.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$3.70 JMD 581

-14.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.59 JMD 250

30.19%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.64 JMD 571

-19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.62 JMD 1,825

8.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.31 JMD 990

60.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.16 JMD 1,596

58.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$5.94 JMD 934

-42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$3.86 JMD 606

-46.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$7.36 JMD 1,156

-71.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.14 JMD 493

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$3.29 JMD 517

-35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.12 JMD 334

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$3.00 JMD 472

-48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.50 JMD 236

-9.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$9.26 JMD 1,454

-37.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.53 JMD 1,812

53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.84 JMD 445

-27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$4.04 JMD 635

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.22 JMD 191

68.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$3.19 JMD 500

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$6.49 JMD 1,019

-6.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.35 JMD 212

14.81%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

-48.49%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

-18.00%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$172 JMD 27.1K

-60.86%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$29.62 JMD 4,652

3.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$52.0 JMD 8,168

-28.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$13.19 JMD 2,072

-46.10%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$367 JMD 57.7K

24.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$8,158 JMD 1.3M

67.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$23.87 JMD 3,750

210.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$31.43 JMD 4,938

81.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$78.1 JMD 12.3K

47.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$103 JMD 16.2K

18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$630 JMD 99.0K

308.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$515 JMD 80.9K

151.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,148 JMD 180.3K

-5.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.45

19.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Spanish Town: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Spanish Town pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $75.0 in Spanish Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $383 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 Spanish Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Spanish Town differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,050 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Spanish Town. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $367 in Spanish Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Spanish Town – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,050 in Spanish Town versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Spanish Town but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Spanish Town 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 Spanish Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.