🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,171 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,484 in Mexico City.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,927 in Perez Zeledon versus $2,381 in Mexico City.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,683 in Perez Zeledon versus $3,278 in Mexico City.
🙂Living in Perez Zeledon costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Perez Zeledon is 13% below, Mexico City is 11% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.78₡3,082
$12.98MX$227
-47.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.34₡17.9K
$53.1MX$929
-25.87%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.98₡4,539
$9.72MX$170
2.67%
Cappuccino
$3.80₡1,729
$3.75MX$65.6
1.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45₡661
$1.57MX$27.46
-7.64%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₡725
$1.13MX$19.76
40.71%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.91₡1,325
$3.18MX$55.7
-8.49%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.74₡2,154
$4.66MX$81.6
1.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.95₡886
$1.62MX$28.37
20.37%
White Bread(500g)
$2.76₡1,254
$2.71MX$47.36
1.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.14₡973
$1.88MX$32.89
13.83%
Eggs
$2.53₡1,148
$2.51MX$43.90
0.80%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.19₡3,725
$10.08MX$176
-18.75%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.01₡4,099
$8.29MX$145
8.69%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.51₡6,144
$11.94MX$209
13.15%
Apples(1kg)
$4.52₡2,053
$2.86MX$50.1
58.04%
Banana(1kg)
$1.03₡470
$1.75MX$30.62
-41.14%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.20₡1,909
$2.08MX$36.48
101.92%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.42₡1,553
$1.97MX$34.46
73.60%
Potato(1kg)
$2.85₡1,294
$2.16MX$37.79
31.94%
Onion(1kg)
$2.80₡1,273
$2.18MX$38.16
28.44%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.38₡174
$1.39MX$24.34
-72.66%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.94₡1,337
$1.12MX$19.69
162.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.09₡2,317
$4.20MX$73.5
21.19%
Wine(Bottle)
$21.95₡9,981
$14.25MX$249
54.04%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.15₡977
$1.76MX$30.85
22.16%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52₡691
$3.68MX$64.5
-58.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.74₡334
$0.39MX$6.74
89.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$18.66MX$327
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.85₡841
$1.39MX$24.26
33.09%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.80₡819
$0.30MX$5.32
500.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.10₡3,684
$5.42MX$94.9
49.45%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.40₡635
$1.35MX$23.63
3.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K₡17.3M
$18.9KMX$330.5K
102.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K₡15.1M
$23.2KMX$405.2K
43.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$93.5₡42.5K
$40.82MX$714
129.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.44₡9,750
$27.50MX$481
-22.04%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.1₡26.9K
$30.38MX$532
94.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.20₡13.7K
$53.4MX$935
-43.48%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.49₡10.7K
$26.30MX$460
-10.68%
Cinema Ticket
$9.70₡4,413
$6.27MX$110
54.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$500₡227.3K
$436MX$7,632
14.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.9K₡5.9M
$10.5KMX$183.2K
23.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.5₡28.9K
$56.8MX$993
11.79%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9₡23.1K
$44.79MX$784
13.57%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$125₡56.8K
$103MX$1,799
21.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108₡49.0K
$108MX$1,888
-0.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$336₡153.0K
$1,000MX$17.5K
-66.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$263₡119.8K
$620MX$10.9K
-57.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,537₡699.1K
$2,137MX$37.4K
-28.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$632₡287.3K
$1,235MX$21.6K
-48.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,865MX$67.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,332MX$40.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perez Zeledon
Mexico City
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$1,067MX$18.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9
11.34
-20.63%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Perez Zeledon: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Mexico City: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Perez Zeledon and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $39.00 in Perez Zeledon vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $286, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Perez Zeledon vs Mexico City: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
What is the total cost difference between living in Perez Zeledon and Mexico City?
Perez Zeledon and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,171 vs $1,484 including rent). Perez Zeledon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Perez Zeledon compared to Mexico City?
You'd need roughly $1,756 in Perez Zeledon and $2,225 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Perez Zeledon and Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $336 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Perez Zeledon and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $500 in Perez Zeledon versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Perez Zeledon – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,171 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Perez Zeledon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Perez Zeledon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Perez Zeledon and Mexico City?
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.
Where should expats move: Perez Zeledon or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Perez Zeledon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Perez Zeledon vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado