Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,570 in San Juan versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,398 in San Juan versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,226 in San Juan versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan is roughly 8% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 18% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 ₡5,016

$12.96 MX$223

-14.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$52.3 MX$900

11.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 ₡4,607

$9.69 MX$167

5.37%

Cappuccino

$3.86 ₡1,742

$3.75 MX$64.6

2.93%

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

$2.01 ₡905

$1.56 MX$26.91

28.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡738

$1.16 MX$19.93

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 ₡1,363

$3.24 MX$55.8

-6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ₡2,168

$4.90 MX$84.3

-1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₡882

$1.70 MX$29.29

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 ₡1,262

$2.67 MX$45.90

4.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ₡975

$1.89 MX$32.49

14.29%

Eggs

$3.00 ₡1,354

$2.52 MX$43.37

19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 ₡4,476

$10.02 MX$172

-1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 ₡4,183

$8.53 MX$147

8.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 ₡6,285

$11.94 MX$205

16.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ₡2,013

$2.97 MX$51.1

50.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.79 MX$30.88

-15.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 ₡1,915

$2.00 MX$34.40

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,543

$1.96 MX$33.74

74.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 ₡1,530

$2.16 MX$37.21

56.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 ₡1,390

$2.27 MX$39.04

35.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡461

$1.40 MX$24.14

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,285

$1.11 MX$19.18

156.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,312

$4.20 MX$72.2

21.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.81 ₡9,840

$16.54 MX$285

31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₡1,086

$1.68 MX$28.94

43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,305

$3.59 MX$61.8

-19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₡454

$0.39 MX$6.65

158.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡818

$1.38 MX$23.77

31.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ₡838

$0.30 MX$5.19

520.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 ₡3,459

$5.39 MX$92.7

42.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₡634

$1.29 MX$22.13

9.30%

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

$37.3K ₡16.8M

$18.9K MX$325.1K

97.14%

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

$33.0K ₡14.9M

$23.8K MX$409.5K

38.60%

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

$93.2 ₡42.0K

$39.86 MX$686

133.84%

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

$26.36 ₡11.9K

$27.83 MX$479

-5.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.7K

$29.77 MX$512

98.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ₡26.0K

$52.0 MX$894

11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.15 ₡10.9K

$26.22 MX$451

-7.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 ₡4,484

$6.27 MX$108

58.53%

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

$579 ₡261.1K

$433 MX$7,443

33.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.7M

$10.5K MX$181.3K

19.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ₡28.7K

$57.0 MX$981

11.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 ₡23.2K

$45.33 MX$780

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.6K

$102 MX$1,753

25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.9K

$109 MX$1,867

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 ₡346.3K

$994 MX$17.1K

-22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 ₡270.9K

$617 MX$10.6K

-2.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 ₡676.0K

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-28.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 ₡438.2K

$1,256 MX$21.6K

-22.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.34

-10.32%

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

Last update for San Juan: June 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in San Juan and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in San Juan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 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 Juan vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan and Mexico City differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,570 vs $1,448 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,355 in San Juan and $2,173 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $768 in San Juan versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in San Juan versus $433 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $59.0 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,570 in San Juan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Juan. 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.

Safety-wise, San Juan and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.