Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Dimas, CA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,463 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in San Dimas, CA
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San Dimas, CA Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,463

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Dimas, CA and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Dimas, CA and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in San Dimas, CA versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

San Dimas, CA $2,463
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,607 in San Dimas, CA versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

San Dimas, CA $3,607
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,750 in San Dimas, CA versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

San Dimas, CA $4,750
Mexico City $3,323

Living in San Dimas, CA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Dimas, CA 82% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 $11.90

$11.02 MX$204

7.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$48.68 MX$900

1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.90 MX$201

-18.53%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$3.68 MX$68.1

58.97%

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

$3.52 $3.52

$1.63 MX$30.18

115.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.25 MX$23.07

96.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 $7.59

$3.25 MX$60.1

133.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.53 MX$102

48.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.70 MX$31.50

-35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.02 MX$55.8

34.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.92 MX$35.53

150.00%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$2.73 MX$50.5

68.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$11.77 MX$218

10.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.43 $20.43

$9.53 MX$176

114.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 $15.16

$14.41 MX$266

5.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.02 MX$55.8

62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.89 MX$35.01

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$1.99 MX$36.70

177.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.19 MX$40.38

167.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.92 MX$35.43

95.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.87 MX$34.49

18.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.44 MX$26.62

38.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.27 MX$23.39

44.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.65 $11.65

$5.22 MX$96.4

123.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$16.17 MX$299

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.90 MX$35.03

4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.22 MX$78.0

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.34 MX$6.30

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.00 MX$36.90

207.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.52 MX$9.67

240.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.08 $26.08

$5.34 MX$98.7

388.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.52 MX$28.13

2.63%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

30.96%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

9.00%

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

$167 $167

$61.1 MX$1,129

172.80%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$28.58 MX$528

137.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$34.47 MX$637

73.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$56.4 MX$1,042

-25.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$6.66 MX$123

123.57%

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

$1,935 $1,935

$427 MX$7,891

353.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K $26.1K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

124.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$67.8 MX$1,253

-15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 $39.34

$52.0 MX$960

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$106 MX$1,959

-11.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$113 MX$2,080

29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$1,025 MX$18.9K

57.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 $1,197

$654 MX$12.1K

83.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,554 $2,554

$2,308 MX$42.7K

10.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 $2,036

$1,242 MX$22.9K

63.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-25.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,449 $2,449

$1,936 MX$35.8K

26.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,063 $4,063

$964 MX$17.8K

321.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.3

-43.45%

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

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Dimas, CA

$1.2K 48.6%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 45.4% $543

Groceries & Markets

San Dimas, CA

$456 18.5%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 30.3% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Dimas, CA

$294 11.9%

Mexico City

$124 8% 57.8% $170

Eating Out

San Dimas, CA

$270 11%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 24.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

San Dimas, CA

$152 6.2%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 2.7% $2

Getting Around

San Dimas, CA

$22 * 0.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 17.6% $3.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,616 in San Dimas, CA and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Dimas, CA pays 321% 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: $49.00 in San Dimas, CA vs $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $318, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

13:57 1:57 PM

1 h ahead of San Dimas, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,714

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Dimas, CA Mexico City 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Dimas, CA
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

San Dimas, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Dimas, CA and Mexico City differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,463 vs $1,548 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 321% higher in San Dimas, CA, 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: $1,616 in San Dimas, CA versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,935 in San Dimas, CA versus $427 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $49.00 in San Dimas, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,463 in San Dimas, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Dimas, CA. 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, San Dimas, CA 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 59% less than in San Dimas, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.