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: $1,197 in San Fernando versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,968 in San Fernando versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,740 in San Fernando versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 19% 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 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.30 TTD 70.0

$12.98 MX$226

-20.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 TTD 402

$53.1 MX$923

11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 TTD 51.2

$9.72 MX$169

-22.43%

Cappuccino

$3.76 TTD 25.52

$3.75 MX$65.2

0.27%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.37

$1.57 MX$27.30

-30.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 TTD 5.45

$1.13 MX$19.64

-29.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 TTD 12.89

$3.18 MX$55.3

-40.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 TTD 16.76

$4.66 MX$81.1

-47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 TTD 13.56

$1.62 MX$28.21

23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 TTD 15.74

$2.71 MX$47.09

-14.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.44

$1.88 MX$32.70

36.70%

Eggs

$3.77 TTD 25.58

$2.51 MX$43.65

50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 TTD 54.8

$10.08 MX$175

-19.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 TTD 70.3

$8.29 MX$144

24.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 TTD 57.5

$11.94 MX$208

-29.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 TTD 39.45

$2.86 MX$49.77

103.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 TTD 17.30

$1.75 MX$30.45

45.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 TTD 29.10

$2.08 MX$36.27

106.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 TTD 31.46

$1.97 MX$34.27

135.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 TTD 8.33

$2.16 MX$37.58

-43.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 TTD 5.23

$2.18 MX$37.94

-64.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 TTD 9.90

$1.39 MX$24.20

5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 TTD 8.22

$1.12 MX$19.57

8.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.52 TTD 37.49

$4.20 MX$73.1

31.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 TTD 120

$14.25 MX$248

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TTD 10.20

$1.76 MX$30.68

-14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TTD 18.54

$3.68 MX$64.1

-25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 TTD 2.86

$0.39 MX$6.71

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 TTD 300

$18.66 MX$325

136.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 TTD 6.23

$1.39 MX$24.12

-33.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 TTD 6.24

$0.30 MX$5.29

206.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.79 TTD 100

$5.42 MX$94.3

172.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 TTD 7.00

$1.35 MX$23.50

-23.70%

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

$34.2K TTD 232.4K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

81.24%

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

$38.8K TTD 263.7K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

67.75%

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

$45.18 TTD 307

$40.82 MX$710

10.68%

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

$42.01 TTD 285

$27.50 MX$479

52.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.20 TTD 314

$30.38 MX$529

52.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 TTD 309

$53.4 MX$930

-14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 TTD 59.9

$26.30 MX$458

-66.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 TTD 61.9

$6.27 MX$109

45.45%

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

$326 TTD 2,212

$436 MX$7,588

-25.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,226 TTD 15.1K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-78.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.00 TTD 306

$56.8 MX$988

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.74 TTD 249

$44.79 MX$779

-17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 TTD 600

$103 MX$1,789

-14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 TTD 610

$108 MX$1,878

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 TTD 3,610

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 TTD 2,365

$620 MX$10.8K

-43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 TTD 6,636

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 TTD 4,749

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-43.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 TTD 13.7K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-47.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,497 TTD 10.2K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-35.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 TTD 6,850

$1,067 MX$18.6K

-5.48%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $532 in San Fernando and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 6% 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 $329 vs $286 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,197 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 6% 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: $532 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 137% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $326 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 $1,197 in San Fernando versus $1,484 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 24% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.