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: $1,570 in Puerto Rico versus $1,123 in Mexico.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,391 in Puerto Rico versus $1,789 in Mexico.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,211 in Puerto Rico versus $2,455 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 ($1,080–$2,421) and Mexico ($686–$2,407) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$10.44 MX$181

46.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$42.03 MX$727

80.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 $8.81

$8.16 MX$141

7.97%

Cappuccino

$3.33 $3.33

$3.36 MX$58.0

-0.89%

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

$1.56 $1.56

$1.33 MX$22.99

17.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.91 MX$15.67

35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.33 MX$40.29

12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.26 MX$73.7

-5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.53 MX$26.42

37.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.58 MX$44.68

18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.75 MX$30.17

33.71%

Eggs

$5.19 $5.19

$2.39 MX$41.39

117.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 $9.83

$8.37 MX$145

17.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$7.87 MX$136

9.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$10.74 MX$186

7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.83 MX$48.87

91.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.46 MX$25.21

82.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.92 MX$33.13

109.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$1.87 MX$32.37

145.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.99 MX$34.42

62.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.08 MX$35.90

34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.32 MX$22.85

94.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.01 MX$17.50

86.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$4.28 MX$74.1

156.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 $15.68

$11.48 MX$198

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.60 MX$27.70

48.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.94 MX$50.8

13.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.65 MX$11.16

175.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.08 $40.08

$26.49 MX$458

51.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.57 MX$44.48

139.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.97 MX$33.97

-49.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.23 $27.23

$10.46 MX$181

160.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.30 MX$22.54

-23.08%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$20.4K MX$353.4K

70.24%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.0K MX$397.1K

18.12%

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

$306 $306

$62.3 MX$1,078

390.47%

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

$71.3 $71.3

$23.43 MX$405

204.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$28.55 MX$494

139.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.09 $34.09

$35.43 MX$612

-3.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.20 $34.20

$18.25 MX$315

87.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 $8.99

$4.63 MX$80.0

94.17%

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

$432 $432

$252 MX$4,362

71.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,459 $7,459

$5,610 MX$97.0K

32.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.52 $48.52

$51.6 MX$891

-5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.17 $46.17

$40.05 MX$692

15.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 $85.9

$92.9 MX$1,606

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$89.3 MX$1,544

14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 $798

$652 MX$11.3K

22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 $605

$455 MX$7,863

33.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$1,223 MX$21.1K

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$872 MX$15.1K

29.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,548 $5,548

$2,613 MX$45.2K

112.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,449 $2,449

$1,574 MX$27.2K

55.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,764 $2,764

$792 MX$13.7K

249.19%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $427 in Puerto Rico, $529 in Mexico. Capital cities: $1,597 in San Juan vs $995 in Mexico City.

National salary averages: $2,396 in Puerto Rico, $769 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 212% 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 $1,547 per month in Mexico and $1,751 in Puerto Rico, there's a 13% 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.