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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $859 in Spanish Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,446 in Spanish Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,032 in Spanish Town.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in Spanish Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Spanish Town is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$7.69 JMD 1,210

70.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$62.6 JMD 9,846

-14.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$8.56 JMD 1,347

9.00%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$4.40 JMD 692

-15.91%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$1.31 JMD 206

22.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.70 JMD 110

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.43 JMD 382

29.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$3.11 JMD 488

55.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.92 JMD 301

-14.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$2.57 JMD 404

5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$0.43 JMD 67.2

344.19%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$3.04 JMD 479

-14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$3.10 JMD 487

216.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$1.91 JMD 300

341.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$2.74 JMD 431

335.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.18 JMD 343

35.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.89 JMD 298

-7.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.53 JMD 241

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.83 JMD 288

12.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$2.12 JMD 333

1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.94 JMD 305

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$2.99 JMD 471

-53.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.90 JMD 142

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$8.65 JMD 1,361

-51.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$11.61 JMD 1,825

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.55 JMD 244

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.48 JMD 389

46.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.08 JMD 169

27.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$3.15 JMD 495

-91.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$6.35 JMD 999

-16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.22 JMD 193

11.48%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$43.0K JMD 6.8M

-55.58%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

-28.25%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$166 JMD 26.2K

-75.65%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$22.08 JMD 3,473

24.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$51.1 JMD 8,033

-40.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$12.93 JMD 2,034

-52.13%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$230 JMD 36.2K

84.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$2,516 JMD 395.8K

326.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$26.46 JMD 4,161

120.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$25.26 JMD 3,973

76.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

44.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$77.1 JMD 12.1K

41.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$159 JMD 25.0K

536.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$123 JMD 19.3K

406.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$633 JMD 99.6K

234.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$380 JMD 59.8K

221.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$1,183 JMD 186.0K

-11.03%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Spanish Town: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $159 in Spanish Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 12% 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 $63.0 in Spanish Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $192, 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 71% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $859 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $159 in Spanish Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $230 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 $63.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $859 in Spanish Town versus $1,472 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.