Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Fernando and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $788 in San Fernando versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,177 in San Fernando versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in San Fernando versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Fernando is 41% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.65 ₱223

$12.98 MX$226

-71.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.42 ₱821

$53.1 MX$923

-74.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.73 ₱167

$9.72 MX$169

-71.91%

Cappuccino

$1.09 ₱66.6

$3.75 MX$65.2

-70.93%

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

$0.45 ₱27.54

$1.57 MX$27.30

-71.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱22.39

$1.13 MX$19.64

-67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 ₱82.3

$3.18 MX$55.3

-57.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₱85.3

$4.66 MX$81.1

-70.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ₱112

$1.62 MX$28.21

12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₱75.5

$2.71 MX$47.09

-54.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱59.4

$1.88 MX$32.70

-48.40%

Eggs

$2.26 ₱138

$2.51 MX$43.65

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₱546

$10.08 MX$175

-11.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 ₱236

$8.29 MX$144

-53.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱471

$11.94 MX$208

-35.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 ₱160

$2.86 MX$49.77

-8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 ₱111

$1.75 MX$30.45

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ₱141

$2.08 MX$36.27

10.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₱74.2

$1.97 MX$34.27

-38.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 ₱112

$2.16 MX$37.58

-14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 ₱131

$2.18 MX$37.94

-1.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱40.87

$1.39 MX$24.20

-51.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₱37.05

$1.12 MX$19.57

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₱202

$4.20 MX$73.1

-21.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 ₱513

$14.25 MX$248

-41.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₱65.8

$1.76 MX$30.68

-38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₱91.7

$3.68 MX$64.1

-59.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.90

$0.39 MX$6.71

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.91 ₱1,279

$18.66 MX$325

12.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱44.84

$1.39 MX$24.12

-47.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.45

$0.30 MX$5.29

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₱66.3

$5.42 MX$94.3

-80.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱70.4

$1.35 MX$23.50

-14.81%

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

$28.5K ₱1.7M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

51.15%

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

$23.5K ₱1.4M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

1.41%

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

$107 ₱6,550

$40.82 MX$710

162.27%

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

$17.45 ₱1,067

$27.50 MX$479

-36.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.29 ₱1,608

$30.38 MX$529

-13.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.92 ₱1,892

$53.4 MX$930

-42.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.35 ₱266

$26.30 MX$458

-83.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 ₱270

$6.27 MX$109

-29.67%

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

$60.9 ₱3,723

$436 MX$7,588

-86.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,948 ₱119.2K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-81.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.49 ₱2,110

$56.8 MX$988

-39.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.97 ₱977

$44.79 MX$779

-64.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.3 ₱3,196

$103 MX$1,789

-49.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.28 ₱2,893

$108 MX$1,878

-56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 ₱21.6K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-64.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₱14.8K

$620 MX$10.8K

-60.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ₱36.1K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-72.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₱29.3K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-61.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 ₱136.2K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-42.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$334 ₱20.4K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

-68.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

11.34

-51.50%

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

Last update for San Fernando: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in San Fernando and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 220% 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: $13.00 in San Fernando vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $286 per month, with San Fernando cheaper across the board.

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 Fernando vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Fernando and Mexico City differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($788 vs $1,484 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 220% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $354 in San Fernando versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Fernando runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $60.9 in San Fernando versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $788 in San Fernando versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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.

Expats usually find San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.