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: $1,217 in San Fernando versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,005 in San Fernando versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,794 in San Fernando versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 17% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Fernando is 9% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 TTD 70.1

$13.14 MX$229

-20.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 TTD 399

$53.5 MX$934

10.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 TTD 50.9

$9.33 MX$163

-19.19%

Cappuccino

$3.68 TTD 24.82

$3.70 MX$64.5

-0.54%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.34

$1.60 MX$27.98

-31.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 TTD 5.18

$1.12 MX$19.49

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 TTD 12.30

$3.14 MX$54.7

-42.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 TTD 16.73

$4.85 MX$84.5

-48.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 TTD 13.72

$1.65 MX$28.84

23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 TTD 15.80

$2.71 MX$47.34

-13.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.71

$1.91 MX$33.29

37.70%

Eggs

$3.83 TTD 25.83

$2.59 MX$45.17

47.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 TTD 54.6

$9.81 MX$171

-17.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 TTD 70.5

$8.43 MX$147

23.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 TTD 58.7

$11.93 MX$208

-27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 TTD 39.97

$2.95 MX$51.5

100.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 TTD 16.75

$1.74 MX$30.35

42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 TTD 29.41

$2.04 MX$35.66

113.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 TTD 31.51

$2.06 MX$35.93

126.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 TTD 8.35

$2.15 MX$37.49

-42.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 TTD 5.13

$2.26 MX$39.33

-66.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 TTD 10.06

$1.39 MX$24.17

7.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TTD 7.85

$1.12 MX$19.47

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 TTD 38.36

$4.22 MX$73.6

34.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.35 TTD 117

$17.51 MX$305

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 TTD 10.24

$1.71 MX$29.82

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 TTD 18.27

$3.63 MX$63.4

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 TTD 3.09

$0.35 MX$6.15

31.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.31 TTD 299

$19.32 MX$337

129.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 TTD 5.76

$1.38 MX$24.00

-38.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 TTD 5.77

$0.28 MX$4.81

207.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.56 TTD 98.2

$5.28 MX$92.0

175.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 TTD 6.68

$1.36 MX$23.69

-27.21%

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

$34.4K TTD 232.1K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

80.12%

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

$38.2K TTD 257.8K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

61.92%

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

$44.86 TTD 303

$40.53 MX$707

10.68%

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

$42.88 TTD 289

$27.38 MX$478

56.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.00 TTD 304

$30.38 MX$530

48.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 TTD 316

$52.2 MX$911

-10.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.62 TTD 58.2

$26.48 MX$462

-67.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 TTD 59.4

$6.19 MX$108

42.16%

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

$325 TTD 2,195

$425 MX$7,414

-23.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,224 TTD 15.0K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-79.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.93 TTD 296

$58.3 MX$1,017

-24.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 TTD 247

$44.57 MX$777

-17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 TTD 605

$103 MX$1,805

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 TTD 610

$109 MX$1,897

-16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 TTD 3,596

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 TTD 2,355

$623 MX$10.9K

-43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 TTD 6,583

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 TTD 4,688

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-43.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 TTD 13.3K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-47.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 TTD 10.0K

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-29.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,030 TTD 6,947

$1,052 MX$18.4K

-2.12%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in San Fernando and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $293 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 ($1,217 vs $1,472 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Mexico City. 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: $533 in San Fernando versus $1,014 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 129% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $325 in San Fernando versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,217 in San Fernando versus $1,472 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.