Cost of Living Comparison Between Perez Zeledon and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Perez Zeledon and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,928 in Perez Zeledon versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,685 in Perez Zeledon versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Perez Zeledon costs roughly 20% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Perez Zeledon is 12% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 ₡3,197

$13.14 MX$227

-45.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.23 ₡18.0K

$53.5 MX$926

-24.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₡4,438

$9.33 MX$161

6.11%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₡1,690

$3.70 MX$64.0

1.89%

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

$1.52 ₡680

$1.60 MX$27.76

-5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.12 MX$19.34

41.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,350

$3.14 MX$54.3

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ₡2,064

$4.85 MX$83.9

-5.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₡899

$1.65 MX$28.61

21.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 ₡1,276

$2.71 MX$46.96

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₡992

$1.91 MX$33.03

15.71%

Eggs

$2.62 ₡1,176

$2.59 MX$44.81

1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 ₡3,681

$9.81 MX$170

-16.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 ₡4,105

$8.43 MX$146

8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 ₡6,242

$11.93 MX$206

16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 ₡2,025

$2.95 MX$51.1

53.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₡462

$1.74 MX$30.10

-40.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 ₡1,955

$2.04 MX$35.38

113.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.06 MX$35.64

67.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 ₡1,269

$2.15 MX$37.20

31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₡1,226

$2.26 MX$39.02

20.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₡174

$1.39 MX$23.97

-71.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₡1,322

$1.12 MX$19.31

163.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.01 ₡2,245

$4.22 MX$73.0

18.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.42 ₡9,604

$17.51 MX$303

22.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₡1,018

$1.71 MX$29.58

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₡687

$3.63 MX$62.8

-57.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₡308

$0.35 MX$6.10

97.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₡841

$1.38 MX$23.80

36.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 ₡831

$0.28 MX$4.77

560.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 ₡3,479

$5.28 MX$91.3

46.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₡607

$1.36 MX$23.50

-0.74%

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

$37.3K ₡16.7M

$19.1K MX$330.5K

95.52%

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

$32.6K ₡14.6M

$23.6K MX$408.4K

38.08%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$40.53 MX$701

134.86%

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

$21.29 ₡9,547

$27.38 MX$474

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.7K

$30.38 MX$526

96.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.43 ₡13.6K

$52.2 MX$903

-41.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.89 ₡10.7K

$26.48 MX$458

-9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 ₡4,558

$6.19 MX$107

64.30%

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

$496 ₡222.3K

$425 MX$7,355

16.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.7M

$10.7K MX$185.7K

17.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 ₡27.5K

$58.3 MX$1,009

5.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 ₡22.7K

$44.57 MX$771

13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.2K

$103 MX$1,791

23.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₡49.0K

$109 MX$1,881

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 ₡151.2K

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-66.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₡117.3K

$623 MX$10.8K

-58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 ₡680.0K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-28.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₡289.2K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-47.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-20.63%

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

Last update for Perez Zeledon: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Perez Zeledon and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Perez Zeledon vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $293, with Mexico City 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

Perez Zeledon vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perez Zeledon and Mexico City differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,172 vs $1,472 including rent). Perez Zeledon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,758 in Perez Zeledon and $2,208 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $337 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Perez Zeledon versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Perez Zeledon – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,172 in Perez Zeledon versus $1,472 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.

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 Perez Zeledon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.