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: $4,463 in San Francisco, CA versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,812 in San Francisco, CA versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,161 in San Francisco, CA versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in San Francisco, CA is roughly 171% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Francisco, CA 225% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$12.11 MX$205

104.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$52.2 MX$883

130.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 $15.27

$10.90 MX$184

40.09%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$4.05 MX$68.5

42.96%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$1.72 MX$29.00

84.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.38 MX$23.29

99.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$3.47 MX$58.6

130.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 $8.79

$5.81 MX$98.2

51.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.85 MX$31.33

-6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.22 MX$54.5

83.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.09 MX$35.25

146.41%

Eggs

$5.19 $5.19

$2.91 MX$49.18

78.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$12.49 MX$211

37.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$10.11 MX$171

62.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.66 $23.66

$15.89 MX$269

48.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.31 MX$56.0

101.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.13 MX$35.95

41.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.19 MX$37.03

114.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.45 MX$41.37

190.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.19 MX$37.00

43.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.90 MX$32.20

104.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.62 MX$27.31

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.35 MX$22.82

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.43 MX$91.7

122.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$17.59 MX$297

-13.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.07 MX$34.96

58.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.75 MX$80.2

-27.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.34 MX$5.75

794.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 $91.4

$21.58 MX$365

323.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.04 MX$34.49

99.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.58 MX$9.77

256.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.35 $38.35

$5.97 MX$101

542.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.62 MX$27.31

-8.64%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

63.44%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-3.65%

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

$247 $247

$65.2 MX$1,103

278.11%

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

$64.2 $64.2

$29.87 MX$505

114.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 $77.5

$36.55 MX$618

111.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$132 $132

$61.0 MX$1,031

116.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.24 $22.24

$26.70 MX$451

-16.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$6.85 MX$116

159.27%

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

$2,872 $2,872

$453 MX$7,664

533.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K $41.2K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

207.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 $81.2

$75.0 MX$1,267

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$55.3 MX$935

-0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$114 MX$1,920

-5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$123 MX$2,073

27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,768 $3,768

$1,134 MX$19.2K

232.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$712 MX$12.0K

273.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,137 $6,137

$2,571 MX$43.5K

138.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,015 $5,015

$1,311 MX$22.2K

282.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K $10.7K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

166.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,549 $9,549

$2,095 MX$35.4K

355.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,663 $6,663

$1,047 MX$17.7K

536.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.3

-42.48%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,768 in San Francisco, CA and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco, CA pays 536% 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: $121 in San Francisco, CA vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $345 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 171% in total monthly costs ($4,463 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 536% 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: $3,768 in San Francisco, CA versus $1,134 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 323% less than in San Francisco, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,872 in San Francisco, CA versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $4,463 in San Francisco, CA, a $3,000 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 171% less than in San Francisco, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.