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

Name: Mexico
Address: MX

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,569 in Puerto Rico versus $1,121 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,388 in Puerto Rico versus $1,790 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,206 in Puerto Rico versus $2,459 in Mexico.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 40% more expensive than Mexico on average.

Puerto Rico (17% above) and Mexico (16% below) straddle the global median.

Puerto Rico ($1,053–$2,436) and Mexico ($708–$2,335) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 $15.14

$10.78 MX$187

40.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$41.75 MX$724

82.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.88 MX$137

12.06%

Cappuccino

$3.31 $3.31

$3.28 MX$56.8

0.91%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$1.33 MX$22.97

18.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.99 MX$17.09

28.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.31 MX$40.07

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.31 MX$74.7

-7.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.45 MX$25.13

44.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.55 MX$44.27

18.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.69 MX$29.24

33.14%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$2.47 MX$42.73

109.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 $9.36

$8.38 MX$145

11.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$7.48 MX$130

16.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 $11.31

$10.94 MX$190

3.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.70 MX$46.86

94.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.51 MX$26.20

69.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.85 MX$32.08

110.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.78 MX$30.79

162.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.97 MX$34.13

56.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.03 MX$35.19

33.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.32 MX$22.85

93.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.05 MX$18.26

78.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$4.30 MX$74.6

157.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.48 $15.48

$11.60 MX$201

33.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.60 MX$27.79

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.06 MX$53.1

10.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.64 MX$11.12

167.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.68 $40.68

$26.00 MX$451

56.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.59 MX$44.97

127.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.93 MX$33.40

-51.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.12 $27.12

$10.68 MX$185

153.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.32 MX$22.94

-28.79%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$20.2K MX$349.6K

75.77%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$22.8K MX$395.9K

21.64%

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

$305 $305

$62.5 MX$1,082

388.25%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$22.92 MX$397

208.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$28.40 MX$492

135.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.64 $33.64

$35.89 MX$622

-6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.47 $33.47

$18.16 MX$315

84.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 $8.89

$4.63 MX$80.3

92.01%

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

$423 $423

$256 MX$4,433

65.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,696 $7,696

$5,566 MX$96.5K

38.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.07 $48.07

$53.0 MX$919

-9.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 $45.56

$41.00 MX$711

11.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$93.1 MX$1,613

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 $98.6

$86.5 MX$1,498

13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 $806

$645 MX$11.2K

24.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 $612

$439 MX$7,602

39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$1,202 MX$20.8K

30.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 $1,124

$864 MX$15.0K

29.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,219 $5,219

$2,796 MX$48.4K

86.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,919 $1,919

$1,604 MX$27.8K

19.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,648 $2,648

$835 MX$14.5K

217.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

11.45

-50.92%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: April 22, 2026

Last update for Mexico: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $429 in Puerto Rico, $530 in Mexico. Capital cities: $1,593 in San Juan vs $1,000 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $2,303 in Puerto Rico, $775 in Mexico. 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 87% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 57% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 197% higher in Puerto Rico, giving Puerto Rico stronger purchasing power.

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 Rico vs Mexico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,522 per month in Mexico and $1,745 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.

Mexico is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.