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: $1,122 in Mexico versus $1,568 in Puerto Rico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,785 in Mexico versus $2,384 in Puerto Rico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,447 in Mexico versus $3,200 in Puerto Rico.

Living in Mexico costs about 28% less than in Puerto Rico on average.

Mexico (16% below) and Puerto Rico (18% above) straddle the global median.

Mexico ($688–$2,347) and Puerto Rico ($1,058–$2,439) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$183

$14.84 $14.84

-29.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 MX$740

$73.8 $73.8

-42.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 MX$134

$9.15 $9.15

-15.85%

Cappuccino

$3.44 MX$60.0

$3.33 $3.33

3.30%

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

$1.26 MX$22.00

$1.61 $1.61

-21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$1.26 $1.26

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.09

$2.52 $2.52

-6.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MX$74.9

$4.08 $4.08

5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.79

$2.02 $2.02

-26.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.51

$3.03 $3.03

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.75

$2.32 $2.32

-26.29%

Eggs

$2.36 MX$41.17

$5.05 $5.05

-53.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$153

$9.27 $9.27

-5.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MX$132

$8.70 $8.70

-13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 MX$192

$11.53 $11.53

-4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.95

$5.36 $5.36

-49.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.06

$2.58 $2.58

-44.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.85

$4.00 $4.00

-51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.32

$4.60 $4.60

-59.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.32

$3.14 $3.14

-37.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.05

$2.69 $2.69

-25.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$23.07

$2.69 $2.69

-50.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$1.88 $1.88

-46.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.6

$11.06 $11.06

-62.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 MX$199

$15.19 $15.19

-24.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.74

$2.35 $2.35

-29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$3.43 $3.43

-11.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.51

$1.71 $1.71

-61.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$458

$39.89 $39.89

-34.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.88

$6.06 $6.06

-55.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MX$34.84

$1.02 $1.02

96.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$27.69 $27.69

-61.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.30

$1.02 $1.02

25.49%

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

$20.6K MX$359.9K

$35.5K $35.5K

-41.87%

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

$23.2K MX$405.4K

$27.3K $27.3K

-14.86%

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

$63.5 MX$1,107

$304 $304

-79.13%

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

$23.01 MX$401

$70.3 $70.3

-67.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MX$490

$67.5 $67.5

-58.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.83 MX$625

$34.21 $34.21

4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 MX$324

$33.39 $33.39

-44.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MX$82.2

$9.07 $9.07

-48.07%

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

$248 MX$4,332

$423 $423

-41.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,644 MX$98.4K

$7,742 $7,742

-27.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 MX$921

$47.69 $47.69

10.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 MX$726

$46.11 $46.11

-9.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 MX$1,617

$86.2 $86.2

7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 MX$1,522

$98.3 $98.3

-11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$11.2K

$813 $813

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MX$7,660

$623 $623

-29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 MX$21.0K

$1,582 $1,582

-23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.1K

$1,110 $1,110

-21.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.3K

$5,897 $5,897

-55.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,569 MX$27.4K

$2,407 $2,407

-34.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$807 MX$14.1K

$2,778 $2,778

-70.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.62

103.74%

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

Last update for Mexico: July 28, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $530 in Mexico, $428 in Puerto Rico. Capital cities: $1,014 in Mexico City vs $1,557 in San Juan.

National salary averages: $761 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 24% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 90% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 213% 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 $1,518 per month in Mexico and $1,749 in Puerto Rico, there's a 15% 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 Mexico: 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 Puerto Rico is consistently higher than in Mexico across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Mexico, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Puerto Rico 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: Mexico wins on affordability; Puerto Rico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.