Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,457 in San Francisco, CA versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,585 in San Francisco, CA versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,713 in San Francisco, CA versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in San Francisco, CA is roughly 206% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Francisco, CA 234% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 $25.17

$13.07 MX$228

92.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 $132

$53.8 MX$936

145.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.68 MX$169

56.40%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.74 MX$65.1

54.55%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.62 MX$28.13

100.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.16 MX$20.23

112.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$3.23 MX$56.2

151.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$4.74 MX$82.5

68.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 MX$28.68

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.21 $5.21

$2.75 MX$47.95

89.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$1.87 MX$32.63

249.73%

Eggs

$6.10 $6.10

$2.50 MX$43.54

144.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$10.20 MX$178

128.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$8.25 MX$144

84.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.58 $23.58

$11.82 MX$206

99.49%

Apples (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$3.01 MX$52.4

133.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.81 MX$31.54

55.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.00 MX$34.81

169.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$2.00 MX$34.74

269.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.08 MX$36.30

87.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.27 MX$39.56

74.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.46 MX$25.36

91.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.08 MX$18.74

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$4.35 MX$75.7

222.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$16.99 MX$296

-13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.73 MX$30.18

44.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.58 MX$62.3

-6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.39 MX$6.74

651.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 $93.8

$18.69 MX$325

401.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.33 MX$23.08

210.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.28 MX$4.87

607.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.45 $39.45

$5.25 MX$91.5

651.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.34 MX$23.27

-5.22%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

82.85%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

7.65%

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

$221 $221

$40.69 MX$709

443.70%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$26.87 MX$468

143.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$30.51 MX$531

120.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.9 $98.9

$52.8 MX$919

87.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 $12.81

$26.65 MX$464

-51.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$6.51 MX$113

165.44%

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

$3,185 $3,185

$428 MX$7,454

644.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.7K $38.7K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

268.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 $69.7

$57.3 MX$997

21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.05 $46.05

$45.50 MX$792

1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$104 MX$1,812

-3.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$108 MX$1,878

39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,297 $3,297

$1,003 MX$17.5K

228.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$623 MX$10.8K

355.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,406 $5,406

$2,109 MX$36.7K

156.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,438 $4,438

$1,218 MX$21.2K

264.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

175.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,742 $8,742

$2,033 MX$35.4K

330.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,420 $7,420

$1,038 MX$18.1K

615.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

11.34

-43.92%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,297 in San Francisco, CA and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco, CA pays 615% 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: $132 in San Francisco, CA vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $558 vs $292 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 Francisco, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco, CA and Mexico City differ by about 206% in total monthly costs ($4,457 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 615% higher in San Francisco, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,297 in San Francisco, CA versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 402% less than in San Francisco, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,185 in San Francisco, CA versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $4,457 in San Francisco, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Francisco, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 206% less than in San Francisco, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.