Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto de la Cruz and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto de la Cruz and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,146 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,969 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,792 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Puerto de la Cruz is roughly 46% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto de la Cruz 60% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 €10.43

$13.18 MX$228

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 €50.1

$53.9 MX$932

8.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 €8.07

$9.42 MX$163

-0.32%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.66

$3.55 MX$61.4

-45.92%

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

$2.06 €1.77

$1.62 MX$27.98

27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.11 MX$19.27

9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 €2.47

$3.12 MX$54.0

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.95

$4.63 MX$80.1

-50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.70 MX$29.43

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.72 MX$47.02

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.91 MX$33.07

8.38%

Eggs

$3.20 €2.75

$2.54 MX$43.86

25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 €10.25

$10.03 MX$174

18.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 €8.77

$8.09 MX$140

26.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 €12.10

$11.62 MX$201

21.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.97 MX$51.3

-42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.81 MX$31.24

21.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.01 MX$34.82

-24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.03 MX$35.20

23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.12 MX$36.75

5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.27 MX$39.25

17.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.40 MX$24.22

35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.13 MX$19.55

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 €3.67

$4.27 MX$73.9

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 €5.99

$15.56 MX$269

-55.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.76 MX$30.39

-26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.30

$3.60 MX$62.2

-58.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.38 MX$6.62

336.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.64 €38.40

$19.18 MX$332

132.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 €3.02

$1.38 MX$23.79

154.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.83

$0.28 MX$4.78

660.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.27 €20.01

$5.45 MX$94.2

326.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.30 MX$22.55

29.23%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

105.94%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

30.28%

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

$79.1 €68.0

$40.86 MX$707

93.51%

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

$21.05 €18.11

$26.81 MX$464

-21.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.35 €26.10

$29.96 MX$518

1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 €44.20

$52.0 MX$900

-1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 €15.20

$26.84 MX$464

-34.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €7.92

$6.30 MX$109

46.19%

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

$525 €452

$436 MX$7,544

20.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,547 €4,772

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-46.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.4

$56.7 MX$980

81.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €44.14

$44.38 MX$768

15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.5

$103 MX$1,780

3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €121

$106 MX$1,825

32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,015

$1,022 MX$17.7K

15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 €1,078

$631 MX$10.9K

98.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 €1,606

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,407

$1,243 MX$21.5K

31.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 €3,277

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-2.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,907 €2,501

$2,064 MX$35.7K

40.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,396 €1,201

$1,115 MX$19.3K

25.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.34

-69.75%

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

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Puerto de la Cruz and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto de la Cruz pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Puerto de la Cruz vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $288, with Puerto de la Cruz 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

Puerto de la Cruz vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto de la Cruz and Mexico City differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,146 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Puerto de la Cruz pays 25% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 133% less than in Puerto de la Cruz. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,146 in Puerto de la Cruz, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto de la Cruz. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Puerto de la Cruz and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Puerto de la Cruz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.