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: $1,253 in San Fernando versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,001 in San Fernando versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in San Fernando versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in San Fernando costs roughly 25% 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 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.29 TTD 69.4

$12.14 MX$206

-15.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 TTD 399

$53.9 MX$914

9.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 TTD 54.9

$11.09 MX$188

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$3.80 TTD 25.64

$4.10 MX$69.5

-7.32%

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

$0.99 TTD 6.67

$1.68 MX$28.53

-41.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 TTD 5.12

$1.39 MX$23.55

-45.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 TTD 12.61

$3.33 MX$56.5

-43.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 TTD 16.92

$5.88 MX$99.7

-57.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 TTD 13.66

$1.85 MX$31.41

9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 TTD 15.25

$3.17 MX$53.8

-28.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 TTD 18.92

$2.07 MX$35.13

35.75%

Eggs

$3.93 TTD 26.50

$2.93 MX$49.67

34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 TTD 45.75

$12.59 MX$214

-46.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 TTD 67.1

$10.11 MX$172

-1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 TTD 58.8

$16.09 MX$273

-45.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 TTD 37.36

$3.39 MX$57.5

63.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 TTD 16.65

$2.08 MX$35.26

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 TTD 24.23

$2.12 MX$35.97

69.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 TTD 28.20

$2.41 MX$40.95

73.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 TTD 4.86

$2.13 MX$36.11

-66.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 TTD 5.19

$2.01 MX$34.02

-61.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 TTD 10.19

$1.55 MX$26.21

-2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TTD 7.82

$1.36 MX$23.15

-14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 TTD 38.84

$5.77 MX$97.8

-0.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 TTD 120

$17.74 MX$301

-0.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 TTD 10.53

$2.07 MX$35.11

-24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 TTD 20.50

$4.61 MX$78.3

-34.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 TTD 3.05

$0.37 MX$6.21

21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 TTD 299

$21.18 MX$359

109.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 TTD 5.86

$2.05 MX$34.84

-57.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 TTD 6.09

$0.58 MX$9.79

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.99 TTD 101

$6.07 MX$103

146.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.91

$1.55 MX$26.34

-24.52%

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

$36.2K TTD 244.4K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

58.45%

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

$41.2K TTD 277.8K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

51.29%

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

$44.23 TTD 298

$67.4 MX$1,144

-34.39%

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

$42.55 TTD 287

$30.62 MX$520

38.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.30 TTD 312

$37.24 MX$632

24.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 TTD 344

$61.5 MX$1,043

-17.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 TTD 59.9

$7.11 MX$121

25.04%

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

$396 TTD 2,670

$456 MX$7,739

-13.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K TTD 74.2K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-19.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 TTD 372

$74.2 MX$1,259

-25.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.31 TTD 252

$57.0 MX$967

-34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 TTD 605

$115 MX$1,958

-22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 TTD 590

$122 MX$2,061

-28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 TTD 3,429

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 TTD 2,634

$709 MX$12.0K

-44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 TTD 6,007

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 TTD 5,025

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-42.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,997 TTD 13.5K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-50.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 TTD 10.2K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-28.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,028 TTD 6,928

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-5.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.3

-49.12%

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

Last update for San Fernando: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in San Fernando and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 5% 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. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $345, with San Fernando cheaper for home cooking.

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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $1,677 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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: $509 in San Fernando versus $1,148 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 109% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $396 in San Fernando versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in San Fernando versus $1,677 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.