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: $1,198 in San Fernando versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in San Fernando versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,727 in San Fernando versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Fernando is 11% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 TTD 68.9

$12.98 MX$223

-21.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 TTD 401

$52.6 MX$903

12.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 TTD 49.77

$9.43 MX$162

-21.95%

Cappuccino

$3.55 TTD 24.03

$3.57 MX$61.3

-0.56%

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

$1.06 TTD 7.15

$1.61 MX$27.55

-34.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 TTD 5.06

$1.15 MX$19.81

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 TTD 12.77

$3.15 MX$54.0

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 TTD 16.63

$4.86 MX$83.4

-49.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 TTD 14.01

$1.70 MX$29.17

21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 TTD 15.81

$2.64 MX$45.23

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.77

$1.90 MX$32.67

38.42%

Eggs

$3.77 TTD 25.47

$2.54 MX$43.62

48.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 TTD 53.8

$10.08 MX$173

-21.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 TTD 71.2

$8.29 MX$142

27.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 TTD 57.6

$11.57 MX$199

-26.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 TTD 40.27

$3.03 MX$52.0

96.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 TTD 17.48

$1.71 MX$29.35

50.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 TTD 29.23

$2.05 MX$35.16

110.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 TTD 32.05

$2.06 MX$35.36

130.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 TTD 8.30

$2.06 MX$35.43

-40.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 TTD 4.92

$2.17 MX$37.25

-66.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 TTD 9.84

$1.40 MX$24.08

4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 TTD 8.16

$1.12 MX$19.26

8.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 TTD 38.45

$4.29 MX$73.7

32.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.94 TTD 121

$15.41 MX$265

16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 TTD 10.41

$1.67 MX$28.74

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 TTD 19.06

$3.69 MX$63.3

-23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 TTD 2.86

$0.38 MX$6.55

10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.75 TTD 296

$19.06 MX$327

129.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 TTD 5.79

$1.38 MX$23.70

-37.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 TTD 6.16

$0.28 MX$4.74

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.70 TTD 99.4

$5.42 MX$92.9

171.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 TTD 6.98

$1.28 MX$21.98

-19.53%

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

$33.8K TTD 228.2K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

77.85%

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

$38.4K TTD 259.8K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

63.80%

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

$44.62 TTD 302

$41.02 MX$704

8.78%

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

$41.80 TTD 283

$26.92 MX$462

55.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.79 TTD 310

$29.69 MX$510

54.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.66 TTD 309

$52.3 MX$898

-12.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.95 TTD 60.5

$26.23 MX$450

-65.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 TTD 60.9

$6.18 MX$106

45.79%

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

$324 TTD 2,190

$427 MX$7,331

-24.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,257 TTD 15.3K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-78.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.69 TTD 302

$56.8 MX$975

-21.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.57 TTD 247

$44.83 MX$769

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 TTD 602

$105 MX$1,794

-14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 TTD 593

$106 MX$1,819

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 TTD 3,720

$995 MX$17.1K

-44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 TTD 2,302

$621 MX$10.7K

-45.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 TTD 6,436

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 TTD 4,714

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-44.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,003 TTD 13.5K

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-48.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,489 TTD 10.1K

$2,096 MX$36.0K

-28.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,031 TTD 6,971

$1,107 MX$19.0K

-6.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.34

-52.56%

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

Last update for San Fernando: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $550 in San Fernando and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 7% 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: $59.0 in San Fernando vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,198 vs $1,447 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 7% 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: $550 in San Fernando versus $995 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 130% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $324 in San Fernando versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,198 in San Fernando versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 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 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.