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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 $14.84

$10.48 MX$183

41.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$42.43 MX$740

74.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$7.70 MX$134

18.83%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$3.44 MX$60.0

-3.20%

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

$1.61 $1.61

$1.26 MX$22.00

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.91 MX$15.84

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.36 MX$41.09

6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.30 MX$74.9

-5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.48 MX$25.79

36.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.55 MX$44.51

18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.71 MX$29.75

35.67%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$2.36 MX$41.17

113.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 $9.27

$8.79 MX$153

5.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$7.56 MX$132

15.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$11.02 MX$192

4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.69 MX$46.95

99.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.44 MX$25.06

79.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.94 MX$33.85

106.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$1.85 MX$32.32

148.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.97 MX$34.32

59.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.01 MX$35.05

33.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.32 MX$23.07

103.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.00 MX$17.45

88.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 $11.06

$4.10 MX$71.6

169.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.44 MX$199

32.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.65 MX$28.74

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.04 MX$53.1

12.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.66 MX$11.51

159.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.89 $39.89

$26.28 MX$458

51.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.69 MX$46.88

125.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.00 MX$34.84

-49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.69 $27.69

$10.63 MX$185

160.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.28 MX$22.30

-20.31%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$20.6K MX$359.9K

72.04%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$23.2K MX$405.4K

17.46%

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

$304 $304

$63.5 MX$1,107

379.06%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$23.01 MX$401

205.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$28.12 MX$490

139.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.21 $34.21

$35.83 MX$625

-4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.39 $33.39

$18.61 MX$324

79.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 $9.07

$4.71 MX$82.2

92.57%

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

$423 $423

$248 MX$4,332

70.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,742 $7,742

$5,644 MX$98.4K

37.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 $47.69

$52.8 MX$921

-9.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.11 $46.11

$41.62 MX$726

10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$92.7 MX$1,617

-7.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 $98.3

$87.3 MX$1,522

12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 $813

$644 MX$11.2K

26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 $623

$439 MX$7,660

41.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,206 MX$21.0K

31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 $1,110

$868 MX$15.1K

27.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,897 $5,897

$2,595 MX$45.3K

127.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,569 MX$27.4K

53.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,778 $2,778

$807 MX$14.1K

244.42%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $2,383 in Puerto Rico, $761 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 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

Puerto Rico vs Mexico: 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.