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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $861 in Spanish Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,433 in Spanish Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,005 in Spanish Town.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 72% more expensive than Spanish Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Spanish Town is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$7.35 JMD 1,158

76.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$62.3 JMD 9,809

-14.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$8.78 JMD 1,383

10.71%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$4.47 JMD 704

-16.11%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$1.30 JMD 205

20.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.75 JMD 118

50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$2.57 JMD 406

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$3.11 JMD 490

49.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.85 JMD 291

-12.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$2.67 JMD 421

1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$0.45 JMD 71.1

317.78%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$3.22 JMD 507

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$3.19 JMD 503

215.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$1.99 JMD 314

316.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$2.79 JMD 439

327.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$2.24 JMD 353

27.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.87 JMD 294

-6.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.53 JMD 242

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$1.94 JMD 305

1.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$2.12 JMD 333

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$1.99 JMD 314

9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$3.02 JMD 476

-53.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.91 JMD 144

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$8.91 JMD 1,404

-52.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$11.36 JMD 1,789

25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.54 JMD 242

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$2.47 JMD 388

48.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$1.11 JMD 175

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$3.27 JMD 514

-90.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$6.28 JMD 988

-13.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.28 JMD 202

5.47%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

-55.75%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$34.0K JMD 5.3M

-31.82%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$161 JMD 25.3K

-74.63%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$22.23 JMD 3,501

23.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$50.1 JMD 7,882

-39.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$13.11 JMD 2,064

-52.17%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$225 JMD 35.4K

94.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$2,457 JMD 386.9K

326.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$25.73 JMD 4,052

120.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$25.06 JMD 3,947

78.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$70.5 JMD 11.1K

45.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$77.7 JMD 12.2K

38.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$156 JMD 24.5K

541.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$128 JMD 20.1K

386.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$638 JMD 100.5K

234.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$373 JMD 58.8K

230.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$1,166 JMD 183.7K

-8.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.15

23.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Spanish Town: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $156 in Spanish Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Spanish Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $195, with Spanish Town 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 Spanish Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Spanish Town differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $861 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Spanish Town earns 9% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $156 in Spanish Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $225 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 $62.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Spanish Town versus $1,484 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.