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

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Mexico versus $1,415 in Puerto Rico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,025 in Mexico versus $2,178 in Puerto Rico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,785 in Mexico versus $2,941 in Puerto Rico.

Living in Mexico costs about 11% less than in Puerto Rico on average.

Mexico (8% below) and Puerto Rico (3% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 MX$204

$13.97 $13.97

-14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.46 MX$796

$80.7 $80.7

-42.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 MX$171

$9.95 $9.95

0.40%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$65.1

$3.35 $3.35

13.43%

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

$1.53 MX$26.26

$1.67 $1.67

-8.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$18.83

$1.38 $1.38

-20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 MX$51.8

$3.05 $3.05

-0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$80.8

$3.91 $3.91

20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.45

$2.17 $2.17

-20.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 MX$50.6

$3.21 $3.21

-8.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.04

$2.30 $2.30

-18.70%

Eggs

$2.62 MX$44.84

$5.74 $5.74

-54.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 MX$173

$10.63 $10.63

-4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 MX$157

$8.54 $8.54

7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 MX$216

$12.25 $12.25

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 MX$52.1

$4.66 $4.66

-34.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.18

$2.86 $2.86

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.51

$4.55 $4.55

-53.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.56

$4.66 $4.66

-54.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.81

$3.53 $3.53

-37.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.72

$3.15 $3.15

-30.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MX$25.59

$2.86 $2.86

-47.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.36

$1.81 $1.81

-30.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.00 MX$85.7

$12.14 $12.14

-58.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 MX$202

$15.46 $15.46

-23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$32.11

$2.31 $2.31

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.1

$3.43 $3.43

4.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.90

$1.22 $1.22

-43.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.98 MX$497

$30.13 $30.13

-3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 MX$49.63

$2.55 $2.55

13.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 MX$51.0

$1.52 $1.52

96.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 MX$203

$41.24 $41.24

-71.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.62

$0.97 $0.97

59.79%

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

$22.5K MX$385.1K

$39.6K $39.6K

-43.18%

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

$26.2K MX$448.7K

$30.3K $30.3K

-13.55%

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

$75.6 MX$1,296

$292 $292

-74.11%

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

$25.85 MX$443

$68.9 $68.9

-62.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 MX$531

$73.2 $73.2

-57.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.98 MX$685

$32.51 $32.51

22.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 MX$326

$14.14 $14.14

34.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 MX$94.2

$10.10 $10.10

-45.54%

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

$280 MX$4,792

$686 $686

-59.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,643 MX$113.8K

$11.4K $11.4K

-41.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 MX$1,046

$54.3 $54.3

12.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 MX$785

$52.3 $52.3

-12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MX$1,836

$91.3 $91.3

17.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,693

$102 $102

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.1K

$1,021 $1,021

-25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MX$8,403

$689 $689

-28.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 MX$25.1K

$2,005 $2,005

-27.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 MX$16.5K

$1,277 $1,277

-24.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 MX$46.5K

$5,873 $5,873

-53.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 MX$27.3K

$2,408 $2,408

-33.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$821 MX$14.1K

$2,684 $2,684

-69.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

6.46

76.93%

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

Last update for Mexico: September 7, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $668 in Mexico, $376 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $1,148 in Mexico City vs $1,809 in San Juan.

National salary averages: $787 in Mexico, $2,383 in Puerto Rico. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 78% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 51% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 86% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 203% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

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 vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,829 per month in Mexico and $1,133 in Puerto Rico, there's a 61% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Puerto Rico: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico is consistently higher than in Puerto Rico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Puerto Rico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Mexico it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Puerto Rico wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.